Cuttack: Alleging a tardy probe by the state Crime Branch, the parents and widow of social activist Aditya Dash Friday approached the Orissa High Court (HC) seeking an investigation into the motivational speaker’s mysterious death by an independent agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
State Home Secretary, Cuttack Government Railway Police (GRP) superintendent of police (SP), Bhubaneswar CBI regional director and SP as well as Crime Branch-CID SP were made parties to the case. In their petition, Aditya’s father Nandi Kishore, mother Padmalaya and widow Bidyashree informed the HC that the late social activist had won laurels from several quarters for his praiseworthy role in many anti-liquor movements in the state.
“Hence, he had been eliminated. Initially, the GRP and now the Crime Branch have been investigating the sensational case. The investigation is, however, progressing in a snail’s pace as the agency [Crime Branch] is yet to make any arrest or arrive at any conclusion,” the petition said. Claiming that an independent investigating agency like CBI can help unearth the truth, the petitioners said, “The court should ask any independent investigating agency like CBI, which is not under the Odisha government, to probe the matter.”
Meanwhile, the CB Friday conducted polygraph tests on Papu, Bikash and Deepu – three members of ‘People for Seva’, an NGO founded by Aditya. The hours-long lie detection test at State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) at Rasulgarh here on the trio ended around 3pm. The sleuths reportedly asked Aditya’s friends about various issues related to the functioning of the NGO. They also enquired if there was any dispute between Aditya and Bidyashree.
The CB had also conducted polygraph test on Bidyashree Thursday. During the five-hour-long ‘grilling’, Aditya’s widow had to answer 70 questions. Notably, Aditya was found dead on the railway tracks near Lingaraj Temple Road station July 7. More than 50 days have passed since his death but mystery still shrouds the case.
