OHRC seeks report on police encounter

The 62-year old gangster was critically injured in an encounter near Simulia in Balasore district while trying to escape from police custody during his transit from Choudwar jail in Cuttack to Baripada in Mayurbhanj district on Saturday.Additional district medical officer ADMO, Mayurbhanj district, Mrutyunjay Mishra said Hyder was brought to the casualty wing of Balasore district headquarter hospital in a very serious condition.

Taking suo motu cognizance of gangster Sheikh Hyder’s death in a police encounter, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) Monday issued notices to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home Department), Director General of Police (DGP), DG Prisons, and the twin city police commissioner asking them to submit their respective reports within four weeks. The OHRC took up the matter based on media reports and the case will come up for hearing on September 6, an order issued by the human rights body said. The 62-year old gangster was critically injured in an encounter near Simulia in Balasore district while trying to escape from police custody during his transit from Choudwar jail in Cuttack to Baripada in Mayurbhanj district on Saturday.

Additional district medical officer ((ADMO), Mayurbhanj district, Mrutyunjay Mishra said Hyder was brought to the casualty wing of Balasore district headquarter hospital in a very serious condition. “ He was gasping and he died within four to five minutes after reaching the hospital on Saturday,” Mishra said.

Meanwhile, a Cuttack-based advocate has also approached the Commission seeking an inquiry into the incident.

Orissa High Court advocate Amrit Mishra has filed the complaint pointing out discrepancies in police statements regarding the circumstances that prompted the force to open fire on the gangster while he was being shifted from one jail to another.

Annexing newspaper clippings, the petitioner pointed out that the facts of the incident reported in the newspapers and television channels quoting some policemen do not tally with the statements made by other members of the force, who are privy to the incident.

“There appears to be some suspicion over the circumstances leading to the incident”, Mishra said in his complaint to the OHRC.

Tthe Kendrapara- based family of the gangster also alleged that the man was killed without any provocation. Hyder's widow Hasina Begum claimed that the encounter was staged to eliminate her husband. The gangster, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted in a murder case, had earlier escaped from police custody during his treatment at SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack on April 10. He was captured six days later from Telangana. Police said the escort party had opened fire to prevent him from escaping.