CUTTACK: A local court in Salepur has expressed strong displeasure over delay on the part of the Mahanga police in reinvestigation into the double murders of BJP leaders and allowed time till November 29 to submit up-to-date case diary.
When the case was put up on Thursday, IIC, Mahanga police station, NR Mohanty submitted a prayer petition seeking one month’s time for submission of further investigation report with a plea that he was busy in investigation of some other important cases and law and order duties. He neither submitted the action taken report or the up-to-date case diary.
Taking strong exception to the approach of police, the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class once again directed him to collect and preserve the call detail records (CDR) of all the accused and submit a case diary of the investigation conducted till date by November 29.
The court had earlier asked the IIC to submit the investigation details by November 25. Ramakant Baral, the son of slain BJP leader and former Mahanga block chairman Kulamani Baral had filed a protest petition on August 16 accusing Mahanga police of dropping the Law Minister Pratap Jena’s name from the charge sheet. He had also categorically alleged that the investigating officer did not examine the material evidence and falsely recorded the statements of witnesses under section 161 of CrPC in order to shield the Minister.
He had prayed for collection and preservation of CDR of all accused persons including the Minister’s personal assistant Bapi Biswal, sitting Mahanga block Chairman Sarat Nayak and deceased accused Prafulla Biswal, the husband of the sitting sarpanch of Nrutanga gram panchayat.
Hearing the protest petition, the court on August 25 had directed Mahanga police to conduct fresh investigation into allegation of involvement of the Law Minister in the double murder case. Later, hearing Ramakant’s complaint, the court on November 18 had again directed Mahanga IIC to take immediate steps for collection and preservation of CDR of all accused and intimate it about the action taken in pursuance to the order by November 25. He was also asked to submit the up-to-date case diary on the date.