JAGATSINGHPUR: The BJP on Thursday warned to launch a Statewide protest if the police failed to nab the culprit in the murder case of 24-year-old nurse Niharika Patra within 48 hours. A two-member BJP team led by Mahila Morcha State president Pravati Parida visited Biluakhai river bed where the body of Niharika was found stuffed in a sack on Tuesday.
Addressing media persons, Mahila Morcha leader and BJP spokesperson Lekhashree Samantsinghar blamed police inaction for the murder of the nurse who was missing since September 8 from MM Nursing Home in Cuttack town. “Had police intervened immediately after receiving the complaint, the murder could have been averted,” she said.
After Niharika went missing, manager of the nursing home lodged an FIR with Madhupatana police the next day. However, the police sat silently after registering a missing case. The victim’s mother had also requested police to trace her daughter the same day. But the police did not take any action. The timely intervention of police could have saved the nurse’s life, said Lekhashree.
The BJP team also interacted with Niharika’s relatives and Biridi police to know the progress of the investigation. Earlier, the leaders met family members of the nurse at Bhingarpur in Khurda district. In the afternoon, they met DGP Bijay Kumar Sharma in Bhubaneswar.
After Niharika’s body was recovered, her mother Pratima Patra had also lodged an FIR with Biridi police basing on which a case was registered. In her complaint, Pratima had named one Kishore Ojha alias Raja with whom her daughter was seen leaving the nursing home on September 8.
Sources said police have not ruled out love affair as a cause of the murder. Jagatsinghpur SDPO Prakash Chandra Pal said while Kisore is absconding, police are interrogating his family members. Efforts are on to nab Kishore soon, he added.