The State Government on Monday ordered a Crime Branch probe into the mysterious death of Ayush lady doctor Madhabilata Pradhan, who was found dead on the railway tracks recently at Puri. The death has become worrisome for the Biju Janata Dal as the Opposition parties have rejected the Crime Branch probe and demanded a CBI probe into the incident.
Describing it as a case of murder, Odisha Jana Morcha chairman Pyarimohan Mohapatra on demanded a CBI probe. The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee and the Student Congress too have demanded CBI probe alleging a cover-up to protect some ruling party politicians.
There are aspects in the case which point to the fact that the death of the lady doctor was neither due to suicide nor accident, Pyari said. Though contractual doctors cannot be transferred, she was transferred four times within a year.
The local MLA who had recommended for her transfer, again wrote to the then Health minister not to transfer her after seven days and the minister also acceded to the request, Pyari said.
Madhabilata was posted as an Ayush doctor in Kanas primary health centre in Bramhagiri constituency before her death. She went missing from Puri on October 12 and her body was found the same day.
Stating that she was not mentally depressed and attended all review meetings in the district headquarters, Pyari alleged that there is only one witness, the signal man of the railway station, to the suicide.
According to the signal man’s version, somebody jumped on the track when a train was entering the station at a speed between 95 km and 100 km. “What will be the condition of the person you imagine, but in this case, it had only one injury mark.”
Besides, the station master also had not seen the body, Pyari said and alleged that the driver took only four minutes to stop the train, report the incident to the station master and then proceeded. These raise questions as to whether there was such a suicide that day at all on the tracks, he said.
Pyari also wanted to know why the post-mortem report was delayed for 18 days. Besides, why should anybody dig out her body from the burial ground if there was no mala fide intention, he asked.
Police investigation into the entire incident has been lackadaisical. Only part of a ‘dupatta’ was seized from the body. According to police, her mobile phone was recovered from Barabatia in Jajpur district. This was done only to mislead the investigation, the Morcha chief said, adding who was the person who called to inform that her SBI ATM card had been found.
The OJM had deputed a fact-finding team to inquire into the incident. The Morcha will be an intervenor in the writ petition filed by the brother of the deceased doctor in the Orissa High Court, appealing for a CBI probe into her death.