CUTTACK: The case of death of Anand Toppo (friend of international hockey player Birendra Lakra) is back in focus over the alleged non-compliance of Orissa High Court’s July 5, 2023 order for ‘re-investigation’ into it.
Anand’s father Bandhna Toppo had filed a contempt petition alleging the CID-Crime Branch is yet to start the probe in the case even after eight months. Advocate Shivsankar Mohanty made submissions on behalf of the petitioner. State counsel BK Ragada on his part sought time to take instructions.
Allowing it, the single judge bench of Justice Sibo Sankar Mishra fixed Friday for hearing on the contempt plea, expecting the state counsel to be ready with a reply by then.
On February 28, 2022, Anand (28) was found dead in Lakra’s flat in Bhubaneswar. After investigating the death, the Commissionerate Police had submitted in the lower court a report concluding it was a case of suicide. The injuries found on the neck of the deceased could be ante mortem and suicidal in nature. The victim had consumed alcohol and barbiturates before his death. Hence the doubt of forcible administration of alcohol and drugs is not possible, the report said
But on July 5, 2023, the high court ordered re-investigation into the case by CID-Crime Branch after Anand’s father sought intervention and fresh probe by an independent agency alleging that his son was murdered and Lakra’s role in it could not be ruled out.
While ordering for re-investigation, a single judge bench of Justice Sashikanta Mishra observed, “Having regard to the fact that one of the accused persons is himself a senior police officer in the rank of deputy superintendent of police, it would be proper if the investigation is conducted by an officer of higher grade. This court therefore, directs the additional director general (Crime Branch) to entrust the investigation to a senior officer not below the rank of deputy inspector general of police who shall reinvestigate the matter from all angles and submit report to the concerned court accordingly.”