BHUBANESWAR: As one of the most respected dynasties of Odisha found itself at the heart of controversy over a suicide pact by four family members of the royal scion’s manager, the Odisha Government on Monday ordered Crime Branch to probe into the spate of tragic incidents that unfolded around the erstwhile Parala rulers, leaving the State shocked.
Ananga Manjari Patra and her brother Sanjay, both formerly managers to Parala King Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo and the royal estate, were found dead in their home in Paralakhemundi along with another sister Bijaylaxmi on Sunday afternoon.
A second brother Santosh, who was rescued in a critical condition, perished at MKCH Medical College and Hospital at Berhampur during the evening hours of the day. He had shown signs of improvement after treatment but succumbed.
Gopinath Gajapati, currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital at Chennai, is the grandson of Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deo, a main architect of Odisha’s special province status.
With mystery shrouding the suicides by Ananga Manjari and her siblings, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed the CB to take over the investigation.
The CB formed a six-member special investigation team (SIT), headed by an Additional SP-ranked officer, which will reach Paralakhemundi on Tuesday to begin probe. It will take over all the five cases registered in connection with the case, Special DG (Crime) Bijay Sharma said.
Four cases have been registered by Paralakhemundi Police in connection with the alleged suicides by Ananga Manjari, her three siblings. A fifth case has been registered over alleged misappropriation of the royal property.
Sharma said, a multi-disciplinary forensic team, comprising experts from toxicology, has also been constituted to gather evidence from the Jangam Street house of the former manager.
While the suicides will top the investigation priority of CB, it is also set to form a unit under its Economic Offences Wing (EOW) to look into the finances, movable and immovable assets of the royal family which is said to run into of crores of rupees.
Earlier this month, when Gopinath Gajapati’s failing health came to light, allegations of confinement of the Parala King at the hands of Ananga Manjari for misappropriating the assets began to hog the limelight. A senior police officer of Paralakhemundi said, although management of the royal family property always talked about in whispered voices, this was for the first time that a case was registered after Maharaja Surakhya Committee, a local body in which local Congress MLA K Surya Rao is a member, launched an agitation demanding a probe into the entire episode. Gopinath Gajapati’s daughter Kalyani Gajapati had also written to the Chief Minister and District Collector on the same issue.
During preliminary investigation by Paralakhemundi Police, three suicides notes were seized. The suicide notes, about eight to ten pages in total, were tucked in the blouse of Ananga Manjari. Of the three notes, the one written by Santosh was in Odia while the rest two - by Ananga Manjari and Sanjay, were in English. Sources said, the siblings had refuted allegations of misappropriation and had named political leaders and locals for bringing them disrepute which forced them to resort to the extreme measures. Ananga Manjari’s resignation letter was also recovered.
While the investigation is still at preliminary stage, the Parala rulers’ wealth has been a matter of speculation. The royal family had donated much of its real estate to Puri Jagannath Temple and State Government institutions while still being in possession of landed property in Odisha and outside.
Meanwhile, Amulya Patra, a third brother of Ananga Manjari, has filed a complaint of abetment of suicide against local MLA K Surya Rao and others.
