Bhubaneswar, (Samajweekly) Dropping a bombshell in the murder case of Odisha minister Naba Das, senior BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra alleged on Thursday that two non-Odia officers were the masterminds behind the incident.
Addressing mediapersons here, Mohapatra said, “Two non-Odia officers, an IAS cadre and an IPS cadre, are the main characters behind the scene. They do not want to take the case forward.”
However, the BJP leader did not name the officers.
“Some ruling party Zilla Parishad members, who were close to Naba Das and knew about the incident, were threatened not to disclose anything about the murder before the media and police. So, the investigation is not moving forward,” he alleged.
Mohapatra also questioned the ongoing crime branch investigation into the case.
“More than 40 days have passed since the murder. A conspiracy is being hatched in this case. Section 120 (B) of the IPC has not been inserted in this case. It seems like efforts are being made to scuttle the probe to protect some big shots involved in the crime,” he alleged.
The BJP leader also questioned the supervision of the crime branch investigation by retired judge J.P. Das.
“Has Justice Das submitted any report in this regard so far,” asked.
The BJP leader also said that accused ASI Gopal Das suffers from no mental illness, yet 30 minutes after the murder, Das was declared mentally ill.
Mahapatra said neither the police, nor the crime branch officials are briefing the media about the status of the investigation into the sensitive case.
“It is also important to ascertain the motive behind the incident to dispel doubts over the investigation,” Mohapatra said.
Responding to the allegations levelled by the BJP leader, senior BJD leader and state minister Pramila Mallik said the opposition has the habit of levelling allegations against the government.
“After completion of the investigation, the crime branch will submit its final report. Unless the probe is complete, it is not worthwhile that the crime branch gives daily briefings on the probe,” she said.
