Close on the heels of the two alleged deaths in police custody in Puri and Sundargarh, another allegation of custodial torture was reported from Pipili on Saturday.

As many as six persons, arrested by the police in connection with the assault on a youth at Bhabanipur village under the Pipili police station last week, were admitted to the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack with multiple injury marks on their bodies.

On November 13, the six youths- identified as Hafiz Khan (25), Pratap Kumar Behera (23), Raju Behera (18), Mohammad Tafiq alias Juma (18), Jagannath Puspalak alias Jaga (19) and Dharanidhar Behera (24) had allegedly attacked one Sajid Hussain at around 9.30 pm in Pipili with swords over some past enmity.

Sajid was admitted to the Pipili Community Health Centre (CHC) and later shifted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar where he is stated to be critical.

Based on a complaint made by Sajid’s brother, Jahid Hussain, the six accused were arrested by the Pipili police the next day. Police also seized two swords and a bike from their possession.

The six accused were kept in custody for around six days at the Pipili PS. They were forwarded to the court and then sent to the Nimapada jail on November 19. However, the jail authorities refused to lodge the six accused after seeing their health condition.

Later, police took the six accused to the Nimpada Government Hospital from where the doctors immediately referred them to the SCB Hospital in Cuttack.

However, the Pipili SDPO has refuted the allegation of police excess and said the accused are undergoing treatment since they were ill.

Meanwhile, the Central Range DIG has ordered an inquiry into the incident.