BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government on Monday moved swiftly and requested the Orissa High Court to monitor the investigation of Naba Kishore Das murder case amid a massive outrage and opposition demand for an impartial probe. In a letter to the registrar of the Orissa High Court, the home department requested the investigation into the killing of the minister should either be monitored by a sitting/retired judge of the High Court or by a district judge.
Currently, the Crime Branch of the state police is probing the sensational incident in which an assistant sub inspector of police (ASI) shot dead the minister at Brajrajnagar in Jharsuguda on Sunday. The home department letter stated that murder of the health minister is a sensitive issue in which a policeman is involved. Hence, there is a need to maintain highest level of transparency in the investigation process.
Meanwhile, accused ASI Gopal Krishna Das confessed to killing the minister before the Crime Branch officers but persisted with the theory that he is suffering from mental health issues. CB sources said his claims are being verified. Fifty-three-year-old Gopal was questioned by Crime Branch ADG Arun Both rain presence of Northern Range IG Deepak Kumar at Reserve Police Line in Sundargarh earlier in the day.
The accused claimed that he is under medication and has even been consulting a psychiatrist. “The claims of the accused are being verified and his medical history under examination. The motive behind the murder is yet to be established and further investigation is continuing,” said Bothra. He, however, did not disclose whether the accused has revealed that it was a pre-planned murder or not.
Govt requests HC to monitor CB probe
Interestingly, Gopal who joined Odisha Police in 1992 had received minor punishment only once. His service record was found to be satisfactory. He was always posted in police stations and never in district headquarters or reserve police lines for lack of performance, said a senior police officer. Police also asserted that he was never denied leaves.
Gopal had reportedly taken 19 leaves in 2021 and 11 last year against a full sanction of 20 casual leaves. Meanwhile, the investigating team seized a 9 mm pistol and three rounds of live ammunition along with a mobile phone from Gopal.
The firearms and ammunition will be sent for ballistic examination, said CB sources. Another CB team led by DSP Sishir Mishra was present when the inquest and autopsy of Das was performed by a team of doctors of Capital Hospital. Meanwhile, the accused was produced before a court and the CB officers have requested to allow them to take him on seven-day remand.
Governor, CM pay last respects
Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and leaders cutting across party lines paid their last respects to Health Minister Naba Kishore Das at his official residence here on Monday. The minister was accorded state honour at his residence here.
Both the Governor and the chief minister also met the family members of Das and expressed their condolences. Several ministers, MPs, MLAs, former lawmakers, BJP state president Samir Mohanty and Congress leaders visited his residence to pay their last respects.
The body was later taken to the BJD party office where hundreds of people made a beeline to pay their last respects to Das. His mortal remains was then flown to his native place in Jharsuguda where the final rites was held with full state honour, said BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra.
The state government had announced three-day mourning across Odisha as a mark of respect to the departed minister. There will be no official entertainment programmes for three days from January 29 to January 31 throughout the state.
BJP unhappy with CB probe, seeks CBI investigation
With many loose ends and unanswered questions linked to the broad daylight killing of minister Naba Kishrore Das by an on-duty police officer, the Opposition parties have demanded a probe into the incident independent of the state police.
Expressing shock over the manner in which a cabinet minister of a state was shot dead, leader of Opposition Jaynarayan Mishra said if the assailant Gopal Das, an assistant sub-inspector of police, was mentally unsound why he was put on minister’s duty.
What comes as a surprise that the ASI was issued the service pistol a day before the incident. All these things create suspicion in the mind of the people which required a thorough investigation. The state government should hand over the case to the CBI for an impartial probe and the same cannot be expected from the Crime Branch of Odisha police, Mishra said.
“We don’t have faith on the Crime Branch of Odisha Police which is a puppet in the hands of the ruling BJD. The Crime Branch is like Sankat Mochan (troubleshooter) for the government. Starting from Pari to Mamita Meher case, the CB gave clean chit to ministers involved in the murder cases,” Mishra said.
Targeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the deteriorating law and order situation in Odisha, state BJP general secretary Prithiviraj Harichandan said the state government has been claiming that the law and order situation of Odisha is far better than many other BJP ruled states. However, the Sunday incident exposed the government’s tall claims, he added.
“If the state government is unable to give protection to its ministers one can imagine the safety of the common people of the state,” he said. Harichandan said, “We have been hearing about such incidents in other states. Never before such incident occured in Odisha which is now turned to be the grazing ground of criminals.”
CM should take responsibility for the incident: Congress
Alleging deep-rooted conspiracy behind the murder of minister Naba Kishore Das, the Congress on Monday stepped up its attack on the state government asking Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take full responsibility for the incident.
Either the government has failed to provide proper security to people’s representatives or there was gross negligence, leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingh Mishra said and held the chief minister accountable for the killing.
“The chief minister should now ask his conscience to decide whether he should continue,” he said. Stating that the incident has shown that the law and order situation has completely collapsed in the state, MIshra said that people do not feel the presence of police.
“It shows that law and order machinery has completely collapsed and the state is witnessing jungle rule. There is no rule of law. That is why a minister has been killed by a policeman with his service weapon,” he added. Demanding an impartial probe into the incident, Mishra said there seems to be a deep-rooted conspiracy behind the killing and it is not a simple murder.
Stating that he does not believe the claim of the government that the ASI was having some mental issues, the Congress leader said if at all it is true, how was he given a weapon. His party colleague Santosh Singh Saluja raised questions on the functioning of the Home department. He asked whether SOP was followed as a minister was touring the place.
Saluja said intelligence should have been collected whether anybody is opposing the minister, or there are any plan of showing black flag or any other suspicious activities ahead of the minister’s visit. “The way the ASI shot the minister, it clearly shows there is absolutely no law and order in Odisha. People are being killed inside jails and minister on road. Hence, the chief minister should resign,” he added.