Odisha journo's death in Hyderabad: NHRC orders fresh probe

14 January, 2013

Rejecting police investigation report submitted by Cyberabad police commissioner on suspicious death of a Journalist in Hyderabad last year, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has ordered fresh probe into the case.

A NATIVE of Siddeshwar in Ganjam district of Odisha, 27-year-old Sabyasachi Pattnaik was found dead in a suspicious condition on February 11 last year in a rented accommodation at Dwarakamayi Nagar in Vanasthalipuram, Hyderabad. He was working as a news reader in a private news channel at Hyderabad. But Cyberabad police had tried to close the case, terming it a suicide case.

But Odisha-based human rights activist and managing trustee of ‘India Media Centre’, Mr. Akhand had filed a petition before National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for an independent inquiry. After the direction of the commission on September 27, the commissioner of police, Cyberabad has submitted an investigation report.

In this report, police said that Subyasachi Pattnaik was “sensitive in nature, and in a fit of mental depression, after the death of his father due to pressure of a work at a new place; he seems to have committed suicide by hanging.” The Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad has refuted the allegations of inaction on the part of the police.

The complainant Mr. Akhand on behalf India Media Centre, in his comments, has reiterated his allegations and alleged that the police has not recorded the statement of the family members of the deceased and has sought intervention for independent inquiry.

After hearing the arguments from both sides, NHRC has ordered DGP, Government of Andhra Pradesh to consider the complainant's comments, conduct a fresh inquiry by an officer of some other district and submit a further report within four weeks.

The petitioner has prayed before the commission to book the guilty people who had forced Sabyasachi to die and a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh to victim’s family and half of the compensation should be given by the employer.