BERHAMPUR: Amid the ongoing Crime Branch probe into the mysterious death of Paralakhemundi Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra, a new video clip has surfaced putting the scanner back on Gajapati DFO Sangram Keshari Behera.
The clip, which went viral on Friday, shows the DFO sitting with two doctors at the district headquarters hospital (DHH) in presence of Paralakhemundi tehsildar. Though the date of footage is yet to be ascertained, it is believed that the video was shot when the dying statement of Soumya was being recorded at the DHH.
The video clip has now added a new twist to the ACF death case as the doctors had earlier denied presence of DFO during the record of the officer’s dying declaration. The CB has already quizzed two doctors of the DHH and the Paralakhemundi tehsildar as part of its probe. On Thursday, the CB crosschecked the statements recorded by Paralakhemundi police with those documented during its interrogation of people related to the case.
On being asked about the video clip, DSP Gyana Ranjan Mishra who is heading the CB probe, refused to divulge any details saying investigation is underway. “We will interrogate others as and when required,” he said. On the day, the CB team interrogated OIC of Gurandi police station Mamata Panda for three hours. While Mamata claimed that she answered all the queries, the DSP said the investigation is progressing in the right direction.
“We held discussions with the local IIC who was earlier leading the investigation. We also interrogated Gurandi OIC over the sequence of events on July 12,” he said. The OIC’s role came under the scanner after Soumya’s father Abhiram Mohapatra accused her of using her influence to hush up the investigation. He had also accused Mamata of detaining the ambulance carrying the critically injured Soumya to hospital for an hour at the behest of his daughter-in-law Bidya Bharati Panda.
On the night of July 12, Soumya was rescued with over 90 per cent burn injuries and was admitted to Paralakhemundi DHH where his dying statement was recorded. He was shifted to a private hospital at Cuttack where he succumbed the next day. Soumya’s family has alleged that Bidya Bharati and DFO Behera are behind the ACF’s death, a charge both have refuted.