BERHAMPUR/BARIPADA: The twists in Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra’s death prompted Crime Branch to send in a team to assist Gajapati Police in the probe on Tuesday even as the deceased’s wife claimed that her husband was having an extra marital affair.
A special team went to Bidya Bharati’s parental house in Goudagaon village under Kaptipada police station in Mayurbhanj to interrogate her and other family members. They were quizzed for over seven hours. Bidya, in her statement, claimed that Soumya was having an extra-marital affair.
Apparently, the girl involved used to message him often while Soumya cleared the call records and messages. This came to her knowledge and the duo had a rift when she voiced her opposition, the ACF’s wife told mediapersons.
Two mobile phones have been seized from Bidya’s possession for further probe. She shared an audio clip in support of her claim.
Commenting on the unsigned agreement paper, Bidya said she has no knowledge of it and termed her in-laws’ allegations as “baseless” and stated that she has never visited Gajapati DFO Sangram Behera’s residence after a fallout with Soumya.
The team recorded statements of parents of both sides but are yet to make any breakthrough. Investigation Officer IIC Bibekananda Swain told TNIE that the team interrogated Bidya Bharati for three hours on Monday and four hours on Tuesday from all possible angles.
Meanwhile, the CB team, led by DSP Bijay Kumar Mallick met Gajapati SP Tapan Patnaik. Mallick said the CB will chalk out a strategy after the special team returns to Paralakhemundi.
On Monday, the ACF’s father Abhiram had met the DGP and PCCF, Odisha seeking a fair probe into the case and also demanded lie detector test for his daughter-in-law, Gajapati DFO Sangram Behera and cook Manmath Kumbha.
All three have been named in the FIR after police registered a murder case following allegations by the ACF’s kin.
On July 11 night, the ACF was rescued from his residence with 90 per cent burn injuries under mysterious cirumstances and succumbed a day later.
Family members have alleged that wife Bidya, DFO Behera and cook Manmanth could be behind it.
Many lapses in investigation and evidence gathering have emerged as a challenge in the ongoing investigation by Gajapati police.