BERHAMPUR: An uneasy calm in Berhampur city was breached by clamour when a bevy of mediapersons descended at Ankuli soon after news broke that Gopal Das, the assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police who pulled the trigger on Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das at Brajarajnagar, belonged to the area. Gopal originally hailed from Jaleswarkhandi village and recently constructed his house at Ankuli where his wife Jayanti, their grown-up son and daughter reside.
Recruited as a constable in 1990-1992, he served at the reserve police till he was promoted as an ASI. A good footballer, Gopal was posted in Jharasuguda district in 2013 while his family lived in Jaleswarkhandi on the outskirts of Berhampur.
On Sunday, Gopal’s family faced a barrage of questions. His wife Jayanti told the journalists that her husband was being treated for “psychological issues” for the last 7-8 years. He was under medication, a fact which State Police could not confirm, though.
Jayanti said her husband was treated at a private mental clinic in Kamapalli in Berhampur till 2019. As the clinic shut down after Covid pandemic, Gopal took the prescribed medicines himself.On Sunday morning, he had called his daughter. “He (Gopal) made a video call to our daughter but I could not talk to him as he disconnected the line. He said he had to attend another call. Then I came to know about the incident from media,” said Jayanti.
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Though he was being treated for mental health issues, Jayanti said her husband was doing fine and had no anger issues. Gopal had visited them four to five months back. She also expressed her ignorance if her husband had any enmity with the minister.
Their son Manoj, a Plus Two student, said his father has psychological problems. “We used to send medicines to him. Since the last four months, he appealed authorities for leave which was not accepted,” said Manoj.
Dr Chandra Sekhar Triparthy who treated the ASI confirmed Gopal was suffering from bipolar disorder and was treated under him.Gopal’s parents and his elder brother Satya, a retired tax collector of Berhampur Municipal Corporation stay separately since more than a decade.