Odisha govt urges High Court to monitor probe into minister murder case

With the opposition BJP and Congress demanding an impartial probe into the killing of Health minister Naba Kishore Das, the state government has requested the Orissa High Court to monitor the investigation being carried out by the Crime Branch of Police.

The state government’s move in this regard on Monday night came after the opposition BJP demanded a CBI probe and Congress sought a judicial probe into the incident as the lone accused in the minister's killing case was a policeman.

"How can the state police probe a case where one of its members is the lone accused," asked Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja. The BJP also raised a similar question and demanded a CBI probe as the state police may not deliver justice for its member being the prime and lone accused.

The Home department headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a letter to the High Court Registrar said that the minister's murder case may be monitored by a sitting or retired judge of the High Court or by a district judge.

Noting that the minister's killing is a sensitive issue, the Home department said that the High Court should monitor the investigation as it required a high level of transparency.

Meanwhile, the Odisha Police have dismissed the accused Assistant Sub Inspector of Police Gopal Das from service after his arrest by the Crime Branch. A case has been registered against the accused ASI under section 302 (murder) of IPC and section 21 (1) of Arms Act.

The Additional Director General, Crime Branch, Arun Bothra said accused Gopal Das has confessed to the crime. The accused was produced at the residence court of SDJM, Jharsuguda and remanded to judicial custody. The Crime Branch has created two teams to probe the incident. During investigation, the investigating agency seized from the possession of the accused one 9 mm pistol (service revolver), three rounds of live ammunition and a mobile handset, the officials said.

The viscera samples of the deceased BJD leader have been preserved for further chemical examination, they added.

The minister, 60, breathed his last on Sunday evening, hours after he was shot by the policeman at Brajarajnagar, where he had gone to attend an event.

The ASI is believed to be suffering from a mental disorder.