JAJPUR: In a new turn to the investigation into death of village-level worker (VLW) Smitarani Biswal, Dharmasala police on Saturday broke open her office locker to recover a number of documents.
IIC Saroj Kumar Sahoo opened Smitarani’s locker at the Dharmasala block office in presence of Magistrate Saroj Kumar Panda and her husband Susil Biswal.
The seized documents are being verified. The in-charge panchayat executive officer of Haridaspur, Smitarani was found dead in Haridaspur sarpanch’s husband Rupesh Bhadra’s guest house on October 16. Rupesh has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the death.
The incident has since then snowballed into a major political storm with Opposition BJP and Congress demanding CBI inquiry into it.
The BJP members have been protesting in the State Assembly for the last four days over the demand.
With the case turning murkier, the Dharmasala BDO Hemanta Kumar Swain had sought permission from the Jajpur Sub-Collector to break open Smitarani’s locker in Dharmasala block office.
Sub-Collector Narayan Chandra Dhal said the documents are under investigation to find out various other angles of the case.
Earlier, Smitarani’s father Sadananda Biswal had alleged that the Jajpur police and district administration are trying to hide the truth behind his daughter’s death.
He had told that Smitarani did not commit suicide but was murdered in Rupesh’s guest house and the body was hanged to make it look like suicide.