Bhubaneswar: The alleged custodial death of a detainee at Kabisurya Nagar police station in Ganjam district has triggered a blame game, with opposition parties accusing the police of running a “reign of goondaraj” at the behest of the government. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dismissed the allegations, insisting that the government has acted swiftly against errant personnel.
Opposition Accusations
“At a time when a National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) team is in Bhubaneswar to probe the recent mob lynching of a constable in the presence of some cops, the Kabisurya Nagar custodial death followed by the Baranga custodial torture incident clearly exposes the goondaraj and misconduct of Odisha police,” BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty told journalists.
Citing a Lok Sabha reply, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) highlighted that custodial deaths in Odisha rose sharply to nine in 2025-26, compared to two in 2024-25 and 2023–24, and three in 2022–23. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai had attributed the figures to NHRC data in his March 24 reply.
Former Congress state president Niranjan Patnaik accused the police of failing to curb both crime and custodial violence. “This erodes public trust in law enforcement. IPS officers are being spared while only lower-rung personnel face action,” Patnaik alleged.
BJP’s Defense
Dismissing the allegations, BJP spokesperson Manoj Mohapatra said the government has acted decisively. “Unlike the previous government, the Mohan Majhi government is taking swift action against police personnel involved in custodial violence. Similarly, the government maintains zero-tolerance to crimes and criminals,” Mohapatra said.
Odisha police officers reiterated that anyone found guilty of custodial crimes will face both departmental and criminal proceedings.
