CUTTACK: Police on Tuesday arrested expelled BJD leader and former Mahanga block chairman Sarat Nayak and physical education teacher (PET) of Gokan High School Anupam Ray for their alleged involvement in the mysterious death of a Class X student of the institution.
Nayak is also the president of the school management committee. SP, Cuttack (Rural) Mihir Kumar Panda said after an audio clip in which Nayak can be heard demanding Rs 70,000 for suppressing the case went viral, a high-level probe was initiated into the case by an additional SP. Based on facts that came to the fore during the investigation, police suo motu registered a case at Mahanga police station under sections 305, 354(B), 385, 201 of IPC and section 12 of the POCSO Act and arrested the two after ascertaining their involvement in the matter.
“PET Anupam Ray had created such a circumstance that the girl was forced to commit suicide while Sarat Nayak who despite being aware that Anupam was responsible for the student’s unnatural death had demanded money from his mother to destroy evidence. Both the accused were forwarded to the court after their arrest,” said Panda.
Police have also collected sufficient evidence including electronics, CDR, statements of witnesses, etc during the probe. Further investigation into the case is being carried out by a lady DSP, he said. The 15-year-old deceased of Sukuapada village, who was studying in Class X at Gokan High School, allegedly had an affair with the PET who was reportedly staying in her house on rent. When her parents came to know about their relationship, they ousted the teacher from the house.
The girl then stopped coming to school and was found dead under mysterious circumstances on June 18.
Later, an audio clip had gone viral where the expelled BJD leader can be heard telling the teacher’s mother that the body of the girl was cremated without a postmortem.
He can be heard demanding Rs 70,000 from her for paying it to Salepur SDPO, Mahanga IIC and some local news reporters. After the clip went viral, police grilled Ray and his mother Bijaylaxmi at Cheliagarh village in Jagatsinghpur. Nayak was also brought under the purview of investigation.