Mahanga double murder: Mystery deepens as prime accused found dead
CUTTACK: In a fresh twist to the Mahanga double murder case, prime accused Prafulla Biswal was found dead under mysterious circumstances on NH-16 at Bandalo within Tangi police limits on Saturday morning.
It was suspected that Prafulla, who was absconding following the brutal killing of BJP leader and former Mahanga block chairman Kulamani Baral and his associate Dibyasingha Baral on January 2, was allegedly run over by a speeding vehicle on Friday night.
Prafulla was also the main accused in the murder of BJP worker Bikash Jena in 2018.
According to the police, the body was disfigured to such an extent that it was beyond recognition. While his bike was found on its stand near the body, his helmet, mobile phone and a bag containing his clothes were lying at the spot near an under-construction toll gate.
“We got a phone number written on a piece of paper in his pocket. When we dialled the number, Prafulla’s wife picked up the call. Later, his family members reached SCB Medical College and Hospital and identified the body,” said IIC Padarabinda Tripathy.
The postmortem report is awaited to ascertain the exact cause of the death, he added. Meanwhile, the death of Biswal has triggered a fresh controversy with the BJP terming it as a well-planned murder.
District BJP president Prakash Behera alleged that Prafulla was murdered apprehending that he would reveal the involvement of ruling BJD leaders in the double murder case.
“The double murder is a political conspiracy which is evident from the death of the prime accused. Once apprehended, he would have revealed information against the ruling party leaders, so he was eliminated,” Behera alleged.
Congress leader Debendra Sahoo too termed the death of Prafulla as planned murder.
“The circumstances in which the body was recovered clearly indicate that Prafulla was murdered in apprehension of disclosing the conspiracy,” said Sahoo.
In another development, Kulamani’s son Ramakant on Saturday informed Mahanga police that Prafulla had made a call to his mobile phone on Friday requesting him to look after his family.
Sources said Prafulla was being pressurised by his in-law family members to surrender before the court as they were being disturbed by the police.
However, he had agreed to confess to the double murder case in the court. So far, Mahanga police has arrested eight persons for their alleged involvement in the double murder case.