Cuttack, Aug. 18: Odisha police is in the docks for allegedly remaining a silent spectator to tonsuring of a minor boy at Pipili in Puri district. The victim’s father narrated the incident in a petition filed in the high court alleging police inaction.

The single-judge bench of Justice Indrajit Mahanty, before whom the petition came up yesterday, posted the matter for hearing after submission of a clarification by state counsel. The court expected the state counsel to take instruction from the government on the veracity of the allegations.

Priyaranjan Das of Dandamukundapur village alleged that his son was tonsured in the presence of the police on July 24. He alleged that though a written complaint was lodged with the local police in this regard, no case had been registered.

Advocate Nishikanta Mishra, who appeared on behalf of Das, alleged that the police were shielding the accused in the case. The petition has named the secretary of Odisha home department, the Odisha director general of police, the Puri superintendent of police and the inspector in charge of Pipili police station as opposite parties.

The aggrieved father stated in his petition that his 15-year-old son was kidnapped on July 24 while he was going to Pipili town from his native village. The abductors took him to an unknown place and beat him up.

“Thereafter, five persons tonsured my son and he was beaten up inside the police station, too, in the presence of the inspector in charge of Pipili,” Das stated in his petition. He named Datikrushna Pattanayak, Himansu Nayak, Dibakar Sarangi, Bijaya Behera and Laxmidhar Panda as the accused persons in this case.

The petition further stated that the inspector in charge of Pipili police station got Das signed on a blank paper when he went to the police station to plead for his son’s release. The petition also alleges that Das was verbally abused by the police officers present there.

As local police did not register a case on his complaint, Priyaranjan had approached the Puri police superintendent on July 27.

“But, no action has been taken till today against the erring officer as well as the accused persons who are threatening to kill both me and my family members if any complaint is made against them,” the petition alleged.

Copies of the complaint were also submitted to the Odisha director general of police and Puri collector “for necessary action”, Priyaranjan stated in his petition, adding: “The life of my family members has become miserable because of police inaction.”