Panel begins probe into spurious drug deaths

CUTTACK: The Justice Naidu Commission of Inquiry, which is probing the deaths caused by spurious drug/liquor in Cuttack and Khurda districts earlier this year, held its first sitting here on Wednesday. The Commission has so far received 23 affidavits.During the proceedings, one Jogendra Kumar Mohanty, an advocate of Cuttack who has filed an affidavit, submitted a petition appealing to the Commission to give an interim report to the State Government suggesting measures to control illegal sale of drugs containing intoxicating substance.Appearing for Mohanty, advocates Milan Kanungo and Sidhartha Das told the Commission that there had been no involvement of the Excise Department in the recent deaths as they occurred due to consumption of spurious drugs. Therefore, the Commission may submit an interim report, they prayed.The Commission which posted its second sitting to April 22 for hearing of the petition on Wednesday, observed that the Government had not yet appointed any lawyer on its behalf although proceedings  commenced.` 5 Lakh Compensation A division bench of the Orissa High Court has asked the State Government to pay ` 5 lakh as compensation to the legal heirs of one Bharat Nayak who died in police custody in 2001.The bench comprising Chief Justice V Gopalagowda and Justice BN Mohapatra directed that the amount be paid in six weeks.Earlier, the court had issued notice to State Government to file a counter affidavit after a writ petition was filed by Kishore Kumar Nayak and three others who had claimed that their father died due to negligence of police. The petitioners had prayed for ` 5 lakh as compensation and a job for Kishore.  According to petitioners, Bharat was taken by Bhadrak Police on July 5, 2001 on the suspicion of stealing a briefcase from the bus stand. He was allegedly assaulted by police as a result of which he succumbed to the injuries the next day, they added.