Bhubaneswar / Cuttack, Feb. 23: CBI sleuths today arrested a person here on the charge of kidnapping one of his friends in 2008.
The accused, Shankar Swain, was produced in the Court of Special Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bhubaneswar, who denied him bail. The CBI team, which came from Calcutta, took him on remand for seven days.
Swain, who was driving an autorickshaw in the city, was arrested following a tip off. He had allegedly kidnapped his friend Bishnu Nayak in 2008. Swain originally hails from Berhampur. Nayak could not be traced. The motive behind the kidnap has also remained unknown. “We are trying to ascertain his role in the incident,” said a CBI officer.
Nayak’s family members had lodged a complaint of kidnap with Gangapur police in Berhampur. Later, the case was handed over to the crime branch which also failed to achieve any success.
Nayak’s family members later approached Orissa High Court. On August 25, 2011, the court directed the CBI to investigate the matter. Accordingly, the CBI registered a case. “We hope to arrest others involved in the crime after questioning Swain,” said a CBI officer.
Hospital ‘neglect’
The family members of a pregnant woman, who died yesterday allegedly after falling off the bed inside the labour room of the obstetrics and gynaecology department of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, today lodged a police complaint against the medical staff for negligence.
The police registered a case of unnatural death on the basis of the complaint and have started an investigation into the incident.
The 39-year-old woman, Banita Das, from BDA Colony, Bhubaneswar, died after falling off the bed inside the labour room, alleged her family members.
On the other hand, the in charge of the gynaecology department, Shayama Kanungo, submitted a detailed and confidential report to the hospital authorities on the entire incident.
Hospital sources said the report stated it was untrue that the woman had died after falling off the bed. She was being treated on the floor inside the labour room.
The woman had been admitted to the hospital in a critical condition and died of eclampsia, an acute and life-threatening complication, said the report, giving a clean chit to the doctors and staff of the department.
“We have submitted the report to the state government and necessary action will be taken. We are waiting for the post-mortem report which will throw light on the exact reason behind the patient’s death,” said administrator Sanjita Das.
Banita’s family has also submitted a complaint to the hospital authorities demanding stern action against the guilty. “Today, we have urged the authorities to take action against those responsible for the death of my wife and baby,” said Bijay Das, the deceased’s husband.