Kendrapada: Two persons, including the owner of a drug de-addiction centre, were arrested by Jagatsinghpur police on Monday for allegedly killing a patient inside the facility on Friday night. The accused were identified as Sabuja Kumar Sahoo (30), owner of the centre in Jagatsinghpur town, and Bibhav Ranjan Mohanty (28), a staff member.
The deceased, Anirudha Lenka (54) of Nagapura village under Jagatsinghpur police limits, was found dead under suspicious circumstances at the Sudhar Nisha Mukti Kendra. He had been admitted to the centre on May 19 by his family for treatment.
Lenka’s son, Abinas, lodged an FIR on Saturday alleging that his father, who was addicted to liquor, gutka and beedis, was admitted to the centre after the family paid Rs 17,500 as fees. He alleged that a staff member informed him over phone on Friday night that his father’s condition had deteriorated and he was shifted to the district headquarters hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. The complainant further alleged that his father was beaten to death, claiming the body bore multiple injury marks.
Police Investigation and Autopsy Report
“During investigation, it was found that in the name of treatment, the victim was allegedly assaulted by the accused on Friday night. The autopsy report also confirmed the cause of death,” said SDPO (Jagatsinghpur) Rashmi Ranjan Das.
Legal Action and Court Proceedings
Police have registered a case under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Both the accused were produced in a local court on Monday. Their bail pleas were rejected and they were remanded in judicial custody, police said.
