Probes ordered into dogs nibbling farmer's body in hospital

The probes are being conducted separately by the additional district magistrate and deputy superintendent of police, district collector V K Pandian said.

"We expect the inquiry report soon after which action will be taken against the guilty," he said.

"We will take action against the police, if found guilty in the incident," superintendent of police, Berhampur, Shefeen Ahmed said.  

Raghunath Behera (62), a farmer of Mahanadapur village had committed suicide on Saturday due to the failure of crops due to unseasonal rains. He had slashed his abdomen with a sharp weapon and was admitted to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Official sources had said the body was left unattended outside the surgery ward of the hospital and stray dogs bit flesh from it early yesterday.

The hospital authorities had, however, said that they had handed over to the police and asked to keep it in the morgue of the forensic medicine and toxicology (FMT) department.

But the police did not heed its advice.

The police in its turn said as post-mortem cannot take place during night the farmer's relatives were asked to guard the body till the inquest.

Bharatiya Janata Yuba Morcha(BJYM) supporters staged a demonstration in front of the revenue divisional commission (southern division) office during the day and demanded an inquiry into the security provided to patients.

The hospital authorities had spent several lakhs of rupees to engage security persons, they alleged.

Behera was the eighth farmer to die during the last ten days in the district, which was hit by the recent unseasonal rain causing loss to standing paddy crops. The state government had announced Rs 900 crore special package for the affected farmers.