Man Alleges Third-Degree Torture, Bribe Demand at Capital Hospital Police Outpost in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: A man has accused personnel posted at the Capital Hospital police outpost in Bhubaneswar of subjecting him to third-degree torture and threatening sexual violence against his sister after he refused to pay a bribe, raising serious concerns over alleged police misconduct in the state capital.

The complainant, Debabrata Sadangi of Gotara village under Mahanga police limits in Cuttack district, has lodged a written complaint at Capital Police Station detailing the alleged incident.

According to his complaint, Sadangi arrived in Bhubaneswar from Delhi by flight on the morning of February 3. Shortly after landing at Biju Patnaik International Airport, he reportedly fell ill and was admitted to Capital Hospital for treatment. During this period, his bag was kept under the supervision of police personnel stationed at the hospital’s emergency ward.

After being discharged, Sadangi claimed he discovered that cash was missing from his bag. When he raised the issue with the personnel present at the outpost, his complaint was allegedly ignored, forcing him to return home. After recovering, he revisited the outpost and requested that CCTV footage be examined. He alleged that the police demanded a bribe in exchange for showing him the footage and refused to cooperate when he declined.

Sadangi subsequently approached Capital Police Station and lodged a verbal complaint. Following intervention from the police station, officials at the outpost reportedly agreed to show him the CCTV footage. However, he alleged that instead of showing visuals from the area where his bag had been kept, footage from another location was displayed.

When he objected, a heated argument reportedly ensued. Sadangi alleged that an officer pushed him out of the control room and claimed the money had been stolen from an ambulance. When he began recording the exchange on his mobile phone, the officer allegedly called other personnel, who dragged him into the outpost premises.

In his complaint, Sadangi further alleged that he was confined in a room, tied up and beaten with lathis. He also accused the officers of threatening to rape his sister, forcibly taking cash from his pockets, seizing his mobile phone and deleting photos and videos from it. He claimed that after nearly an hour of alleged assault and intimidation, he was released only after assuring the officers that he would not speak about the incident.

Capital Police Station has registered a case in connection with the allegations and initiated an investigation.