Bhubaneswar, Nov 14 (IANS) Five policemen were Saturday booked for allegedly beating a 65-year-old man to death in Orissa’s Kendrapada district, authorities said.
Basanta Das died Wednesday night after he was allegedly beaten by policemen in Ratanapur village, about 150 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.

A police team had raided Das’s house to arrest his 40-year-old son Bharat who was accused of damaging coconut samplings in the region planted by the forest department.

“The policemen assaulted Basanta with shoes and sticks. Basanta had sustained serious injuries and died hours later,” alleged Abanti, Bharat’s wife.

A case has been registered against Madan Mohan Pradhan, officer in-charge of local police station, and four other policemen on the basis of a complaint filed by Abanti, a senior district police officer told IANS.