BERHAMPUR: The mysterious death of Paralakhemundi Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra is only getting murkier with evidence pointing at the officer being burnt somewhere else before being shifted to his official residence.
On Saturday, a special police team recorded statements of the deceased’s father Abhimanyu Mohapatra and cousin Manas Ranjan.
Abhimanyu with his lawyer Parthasarathi Nayak claimed that circumstantial evidences point towards murder and demanded verification of phone calls of daughter-in-law Bidya Bharati Panda and Paralakhemundi DFO Sangram Behera.
The special team, under supervision of Gajapati SP Tapan Kumar Patnaik, is overseeing the case in which the ACF succumbed to 90 per cent burn injuries on July 11.
Immediately after the mishap, the official quarters was locked and opened only on Friday for the forensic team to collect evidence. Sources said, the team found several handwritten notes during the search but surprisingly, there were no traces of inflammable objects that could lead to the purported fatal fire mishap.
What is more intriguing there were no signs of damaged or gutted property including plastic items and paper that would lend credibility to the claim that there was a blaze in the house.
Though police denied to divulge details, prima facie evidence point that Soumya suffered burn injuries at a different place.
Later speaking to mediapersons, Nayak said circumstantial evidence in the quarter indicates that no fire occurred inside it.
There should have been some foul smell of burning of human flesh in the quarters as it was closed since July 12. However, there was no stench in the house when it was opened, he added.
“Since Soumya suffered 90 per cent burn injuries in his quarters, as is claimed, it must have spread but all the articles in the house were found intact,” he said.
"Evidence indicate that Soumya was burnt somewhere else and then shifted to his residence which is possible only with involvement of multiple persons in the act,” the lawyer said.
While police has registered a case of murder against three persons, including deceased’s wife Bidya and Paralakhemundi DFO Behera, it has not yet interrogated the duo.