Odisha jail official facilitates release of Vizag’s mentally-challenged youth from wrongful confinement

By Mahendra Darjee

Bolangir, June 20: Thrown into prison cell by Odisha’s Bolangir police, largely because of its wrongful investigation, a mentally-challenged youth hailing from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, on Sunday finally walked into freedom. Thanks to the Bolangir jail superintendent of Sarbeswar Sahoo who detected the slackness police probe and facilitated the youth’s release.

According to sources, S Paiti Raju was sent to jail in an ATM theft case six months ago. During his stay in the jail, Raju’s fellow inmates came to know that the latter was a mentally-challenged person. After learning it, jail superintendent Sarbeswar Sahoo contacted Raju’s family in Vizag and was shocked to know that his family members had performed Raju’s last rites as he did not return for six months.

Raju’s family members after learning about Raju’s whereabouts reached Bolangir on Friday. From them, the police came to learn that Raju was not a criminal. He was not mentally sound for which he was undergoing treatment. He ran away from a train while being taken for treatment and reached Bolangir.

When asked, Bolangir Town Police refused to make any comment in this regard.

Raju’s uncle Seikh Mudina said, “For six months Raju was in jail. His parents recently came to know about it and sent us to take Raju back home. On Saturday, bail was not granted. Today he got bail and we will leave for Vizag.”

Raju’s lawyer Tusharkant Mohapatra said, “Town Police forwarded Raju in a theft case. As police had not recovered any money from him, the court had released him.  However, Raju found it hard to get a bailer as he belonged to Andhra Pradesh. His family members got my number from the Jail Superintendent and   contacted me to get a bailer for Raju. Today, he got released.”