BHUBANESWAR/PARALAKHEMUNDI: Accusations , counter-allegations and conspiracy theories abounded even as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Crime Branch on Tuesday began probe into the alleged suicide pact by Parala Royal Palace manager Ananga Manjari Patra and her three siblings. While the SIT took over the six cases registered in connection with the alleged suicides and royal property misappropriation, a five-member team of State Forensic Sciences Laboratory (SFSL) collected at least 20 bottles from the Jangam Street house of the former manager of Parakhemundi King Gopinath Gajapati Narayana Deo.
Of the four siblings, the three who had died of poisoning are believed to have consumed from the bottles. The liquid residue have been sent to SFSL for chemical examination. Similarly, a pen was found on a table inside the room where Ananga Manjari and her sister had died. It has also been seized by the forensic team. The three suicide notes seized on Monday have been sent to SFSL for handwriting comparison along with the pen. In total, 28 articles have been seized by the investigating team.
“Our first mandate is to establish the cause of death to ascertain if it was suicide. After that, the SIT will proceed to analyse the circumstances that led to the suicide pact by four members of the Patra family,” Special DG (Crime) Bijay Sharma said.
A major task for the CB will be to probe charges of abetment behind the multiple suicides. Amulya Patra, another of Ananga Manjari’s brothers, has already lodged a case under Section 306 of Indian Penal Code (Abetment) against local MLA K Suriya Rao, three others and a TV news channel. The suicide notes also pointed fingers at them accusing them of causing humiliation and maligning their reputation in public. With many theories emerging for the alleged suicides, media trial of the Patra family has also been an angle. The CB is also examining if Santosh Patra, who was a power of attorney holder for Gopinath Gajapati in connection with a property dispute which was disposed of by a Paralakhemundi Civil Court on August 2, is the younger brother of Ananga Manjari who succumbed on Monday at MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur. Similarly, the legal tussle between the Parala King and his younger brother Sarbajgan Jagannath Narayana Deo is also being verified. A team of the CB is also likely to head to Chennai to speak to the Parala scion’s younger brother and his daughter Kalyani Gajapati. Meanwhile, the CB has reinforced the SIT by inducting three more officers, taking its strength to 10.
