CUTTACK: Mahanga police, which has once again failed to file the status report on reinvestigation into the sensitive double murder case, sought one month more to comply with the order of the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Salepur on Monday.
The JMFC Court had earlier ordered a fresh investigation into the alleged involvement of Law Minister Pratap Jena in the case and issued a directive to the police to collect and preserve call detail records (CDRs) of the accused and file the reinvestigation status report by November 25. When the matter was heard, Mahanga police sought some more time stating it was preoccupied with other cases.
The court, which expressed displeasure over the response, had directed Mahanga IIC to submit the up-to-date case diary of the reinvestigation conducted till date by November 29. When the case came up for hearing on the day, the police again sought one month’s time to file the status report.
Ramakanta Baral, son of the deceased BJP leader and former Mahanga block chairman Kulamani Baral, has filed a fresh petition in the court seeking direction to the police for immediate filing of the status report along with the CDRs.
As the judge concerned was absent, the hearing on the petition could not be held. The case will be put up again on Tuesday, said Baral’s counsel Prabin Kanungo. Speaking to media persons, Ramakanta alleged that the police are killing time deliberately with the intention of not only lapsing the availability period of the CDRs but also to influence the witnesses.
On January 2 evening, Kulamani and his associate Dibya Singh Baral of Nrutanga were brutally murdered by some miscreants with sharp weapons near Jankoti when they were returning home on a motorcycle.
Ramakant had filed an FIR against 13 persons including Jena for their involvement in the double murder case. Around one month later, Prafulla Biswal, one of the accused in the case was found dead under mysterious circumstances on a road near Tangi.
Ramakant moved the court when police dropped the name of Jena from the chargesheet following which the court ordered a fresh probe into the case.