Puri: The Crime Branch (CB) claimed to have blown the lid off the mysterious death of Chittaranjan Palai, a personal assistant to the state Planning Board deputy chairperson Sanjay Das Burma, with the arrest of two persons, Friday.
Jagannath Sarangi alias Jaga, Palai’s friend, and Ashok Upadhyaya, spouse of the mysterious woman of Basudevpur area in this town, have been arrested under Sections 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC in connection with the death, CB DSP Sisir Mishra said during a press meet at the SP office here.
Mishra said the accused were produced before a local court which sent both to 14-day judicial custody. The investing agency is planning to bring the duo on seven-day remand for further probe.
The Crime Branch officials, however, did not reveal the exact turn of events or cause behind Palai’s murder. They said that the information would hinder the probe process. The officials also informed that efforts are on to trace weapons that were used to kill Palai.
Palai, a native of Sanabandhakera village in Brahmagiri tehsil of Puri, was found dead with multiple injuries on his body in Nuanai, on the morning of December 13.
On the basis of a complaint by his family, Sadar police registered a murder case. The director general of police handed over the investigations to the CB, December 15. It should be stated here that some of Palai’s relatives had alleged that Das Burma was involved in the ‘murder’ of Palai.
Earlier the post-mortem report of Palai was submitted to Puri Sadar police. It said Palai died due to drowning. However, the report was later sent to the State Forensic Science Laboratory for further confirmation.
