In a gory incident, a 22-year-old youth was tied to a scooter with rope and dragged on the streets of Cuttack for two hours for not paying Rs 1,500 he had borrowed from the accused. The boy was rescued from the clutches of his tormentors at Sutahat junction by the locals.
What has left the city denizens stunned is the failure of the police in promptly responding to the situation despite the fact that the visual of the monstrous act was captured on CCTV cameras of the police control room at its headquarters here.
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It is said that the heart-wrenching incident took place on Sunday evening between 6.30 pm and 8.30 pm.
Cuttack Deputy Commissioner of Police Pinak Mishra said that police had swung into action after the video went viral. “Both the accused – Sheikh Husen and Sheikh Chhotu – have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody,” said Mishra.
It is said that the victim had borrowed Rs 1,500 from one of the accused a month back. The arrested persons took law unto their hands and inflicted punishment on the victim as he failed to repay the borrowed amount, added Mishra.
Expressing dismay over the poor law and order situation in the city, human rights activist Biswapriya Kanungo said: “Nobody is safe in Cuttack. Dragging of the young man on the crowded road lends points out a lot. Emboldened by poor policing, criminals are having a field day.”
“It is unfortunate that people are taking law into their own hands. Law-abiding citizens are becoming soft targets of criminals. Policemen, who did not intervene to rescue the victim despite the video going viral, should also be taken to task,” added Kanungo.
