‘Mahanga murder exposes corruption in PMAY’
CUTTACK: Odisha BJP in-charge D Purandeswari on Thursday lashed out at the State government over the brutal murder of two party leaders because of alleged political rivalry in Mahanga. She met family members of deceased Kulamani Baral and Dibyasingh at Nrutanga village.
“Two years back, a BJP worker Bikash Jena was killed in the same village over political rivalry. Again, our two party workers Kulamani and Dibyasingh were brutally murdered for exposing corruption in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). The incident has reflected the laxity in maintaining law and order situation in the State. It has also exposed that the government is mired in corruption,” she said.
Raising question as to why Law Minister Pratap Jena is not being arrested even though the deceased family members have accused him of conspiracy and named him in the FIR, Purandeswari urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to deliver justice. “Otherwise, people will lose faith on the government. We are with the families of the deceased leaders and will continue our fight till justice is delivered to them”, she said.
Senior party leader and former DGP Prakash Mishra criticised the district police for not bringing those identified by Dibyasingh before his death into the ambit of the investigation. “Dibyasingh had taken some names behind the murderous attack on him and Kulamani. His last words should be considered as dying declaration and the investigation should be carried out accordingly. But, it is a matter of concern that police have ignored it completely,” alleged Mishra.
“It seems that the local police officials are working at someone’s behest in Mahanga. Police officers who support the ruling party are getting posted in the coastal districts. It has set a bad precedent in policing and emerged as a threat to law and order situation,” Mishra added. BJP State president Samir Mohanty and general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan and several other party leaders were present.
BJD hits back at BJP
Bhubaneswar: Targeted by the BJP over Mahanga double murder case, the ruling BJD on Thursday hit back by asserting that the State government has zero tolerance towards violence and always taken strictest action against the culprits. “BJP’s Odisha Pravari D Purandeswari is probably unaware that the BJD government has zero tolerance towards violence and has always taken the strictest action against the culprits due to which the people of Odisha have been blessing the party for five successive terms,” BJD national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha Member Sasmit Patra said. Patra said it seems Purandeswari is unaware that the accused persons in the case have been arrested within 48 hours.
Two more arrested
Cuttack: The special teams of Cuttack rural police on Thursday arrested two more accused in connection with the double murder. The accused have been identified as Chaitanya Sethi, younger brother of prime accused Panchanan Sethi, and Umesh Khatua of Jankothi village. While Chaitanya was arrested from Nuapatna area in Cuttack, Umesh was apprehended from Rajgangpur bus stand. With this, the number of arrest in the case increased to seven.