Saheednagar PS IIC transferred

BHUBANESWAR: Inspector-in-charge of Saheednagar police station Alok Jena was transferred to the headquarters of the Commissionerate Police here on Saturday. It was decided by the transfer board of the Commissionerate of Police. Chandrasekharpur traffic police station IIC KP Mishra would join as Saheednagar IIC.

Following the alleged custodial death of Kuldeep Mahapatra, DCP Nitinjeet Singh had sought police commissioner Sunil Roy’s permission to transfer Jena. He had recommended Jena’s transfer to ensure a fair probe. Before, two assistant sub-inspector rank officers were suspended on charge of negligence in duty on Thursday.

CBI probe into city custodial death case demanded

BHUBANESWAR: The Human Rights Front (HRF) on Saturday demanded CBI inquiry into the Saheednagar police station custodial death case. The Front alleged that Kuldeep Mohapatra died in the custody due to severe torture by police officials.

At a Press meet here on Saturday, HRF president Manoj Jena said the statement which was given by the police at the Press conference on June 5 about Kuldeep for impersonating as a special squad inspector and extorting money was totally baseless. Even attack on Kuldeep by locals was also an imaginary story made by the IIC of the police station, they added.

On the other hand, the members said the locals denied the charge of beating Kuldeep. The locals said that they don’t have any idea about the incident on that particular place said by the police. The members questioned that why the police delayed in treatment of the deceased if he was attacked by the locals. According to the police, if he was severely injured during their rescue in the morning time, why the IIC called a press conference at the afternoon without admitting him in the hospital which was open violation of NHRC guidelines, the members added.

The Front said the police have failed to maintain the Supreme Court guideline to prepare ‘Arrest Memo’ first and then ‘Inspection Memo’ in the case of injured person along with signatures of the culprit, witness and the police officer, which was not properly maintained in this case by the police station officials. The police had informed the family members of Kuldeep after his death instead of informing his family after the arrest which violates the guidelines of arrest, they added.

According to Rabindranath Mohapatra, father of the deceased, the present Saheednagar police IIC had arrested his son in a loot case falsely in 2010 when he was the IIC of Lingaraj police station. We had filed a petition in the High Court, the Human Rights Commission and the SDJM Court the illegal arrest and it was the reason behind the death of Kuldeep, he added.

Besides CBI inquiry, the Front demanded suspension and stringent action against IIC Alok Jena and the police officers who were in the duty and adequate compensation for the deceased’s family.      

Among others, Ambedkar Lohia Bichar Manch president Pratap Sahu, Odisha Pragati Mahila Manch convener Mamata Samantray, HRF member Sandeep Mohnaty and family members of the deceased Kuldeep were present.

                  

UN Women, India expand its EWR empowerment programme in State

BHUBANESWAR: The Government of India and UN Women South Asia have launched their joint programme on ‘Promoting Women’s Political Leadership and Governance in India and South Asia’ in State’s two more districts Bhadrak and Sambalpur. The objective of this Programme is to politically empower elected women representatives (EWR) in local Governments. The Royal Government of Norway funded programme is covering India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

A consultation was launched by Union Minister of Panchayati Raj and Tribal Affarirs V Kishore Chandra Deo. Gracing the occasion, Deo emphasised that the Government of India-UN Women Governance Programme is both timely and positioned at the right level.

This programme seeks to impact this situation by empowering elected women representatives in local Governments to make public policy and resource allocation patterns responsive to women’s political and human rights. Deo announced that, building on lessons and experiences of the Government of India-UN Women Programme, an ambitious programme covering the whole country would be launched during the fiscal year 2012-13.

Panchayati Raj Minister of Odisha Maheshwar Mohanty welcoming the programme announced that with the experience of the programme pilots, the Government would upscale the programme to cover all the districts of the State with the active support from the forthcoming Government of India scheme.

Elected women representatives and district officials participated in the consultation to share experience and exchange views on challenges in the field and also the solutions. Among others, UN Women South Asia Regional Programme Director Anne F Stenhammer was present.

Police Commissioner to investigate into CM’s fake Twitter account issue

BHUBANESWAR: After a fake account in the name of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik came into exist in the social networking site Twitter, Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on Friday clarified about non-existence of the account in the name of the CM and the CMO directed the Commissioner of Police to investigate into the matter and to take action against the culprits.

The fake account row had started from Chief Minister’s facebook account. Following the fake facebook account, CMO had clarified about the non-existence of such account in the name of the Chief Minister. It had also stated that Patnaik had no account in social networking site facebook officially or non-officially. Still now three accounts are there in the networking site in the name of the Chief Minister.

Similarly, after facebook, some unidentified users of social networking sites have created a Twitter account in the name of Chief Minister Patnaik. The account has 581 followers, while the account in the name of Patnaik is following Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi. The account has also a profile photo of Patnaik.

On the other hand, in a Press release CMO on Friday clarified about Naveen Patnaik’s non-existence of Twitter account. It mentioned that neither Patnaik has an account nor the member of Twitter, but it is the handiwork of some mischief mongers. The CMO directed the Commissioner of Police Sunil Ray to investigate into the matter and take approapriate action against the culprits.

Diploma entrance results declared

--Jnana Ranjan among boys, Rojalin among girls tops list

BHUBANESWAR: Jnana Ranjan Biswal of Khurda among boys and Rojalin Panda of Angul among girls topped the Diploma Entrance Test (DET) results list which was published on Friday. This year, 25 students are in the top ten list out of which sixteen boys and nine girls. This year, 53,161 students had appeared the exam.

According to the State Council for Technical Education & Vocational Training (SCTE & VT), the students could apply through online this year. For the purpose, 15 nodal centres would be opened to help the students. The students could go to nodal centres and choice their institution through choice locking process. The counseling process would start from July 3, informed SCTE&VT chairman CS Kumar.

City records State’s highest temp

BHUBANESWAR: After 46.7 degree Celsius temperature on Tuesday breaking 40 years record and 46.6 degree C record temperature on Wednesday, the capital city recorded State’s highest temperature of 45.6 degrees C here on Thursday. City’s temperature surpassed State’s all traditionally hottest places Talcher, Sambalpur, Titilagarh, Jharsuguda and Anugul.

This unprecedented rise in the mercury level left life in the city literally paralysed between 10 am and 5 pm. It was just unbearable outside as well as inside the houses where fans were of no help due to frequent power cuts. The roads and market places wore a deserted look. Due to record break temperature in the city during last four days, residents of the capital city are waiting for a relief from the killer heat wave of the daytime.

In the millennium city Cuttack also the mercury level touched 43 degrees C. The situation was similar in other districts of the State. Besides the capital city, maximum temperatures at eight places of the State were recorded above 44 degrees. “While driving the bike, I feel my legs are burning. This type of heat wave we never experienced before,” said a businessman Dhanurdhar.

According to the Bhubaneswar Met office, south-west monsoon has already reached the Kerala coast and it would hit the State by the end of the June second week. Met office warned that thunder storm/thunder squall accompanied with hail and gusty surface wind speed reaching 60 to 70 km per hour is likely to affect some parts of the districts of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Baleswar, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Jajpur, Kandhamal, Sundergarh and Bhadrak.

Probe begins into Saheednagar custodial death case

BHUBANESWAR: Probe into custodial death at the Saheednagar police station started here on Thursday. Whether delay in treatment or due to beating in custody that would also be investigated during the investigation. The Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC) is investigating into the incident.

After Kuldeep Mahapatra’s death in police custody who had been arrested for impersonating as a special squad inspector and extorting money at the Saheednagar police station, two Assistant Sub Inspectors (ASIs) were suspended by Deputy Commissioner of Police Nitinjeet Singh for negligence in duty on Wednesday here.

“Stringent action would be taken against the culprits,” said Commissioner of Police Sunil Ray. Which police officers were present at that time and what was their duty that would be investigated, said the Commissioner adding, action would be taken under the law.

Following the custodial death, Deputy Commissioner of Police Nitinjeet Singh wrote to the Bhubaneswar SDJM Court for a Magistrate-level probe into the case. If the magistrate-level probe starts, some points would be taken into account like at what time the station diary was maintained, at what time FIR was lodged and when Kuldeep was sent to hospital. Even the time of reaching the hospital, which officials and staffs were present over there that would also be investigated, sources said.

The State Human Rights Commission has asked DCP Singh to submit report on the death of Kuldeep with in seven days. If needed the Commission would summon DCP, postmortem doctor, Inspector-In-Charge of the police station and officers, State Human Rights Commission Registrar said.