Paralakhemundi: With the death case of Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra taking new turns each passing day, Gajapati police are yet to crack the case.
The three-member Crime Branch team that has been camping in Paralakhemundi since Tuesday to help local police visited Soumya Ranjan’s government quarter Thursday. They are investigating to find out the veracity of different theories that have emerged so far, it was learnt.
The Crime Branch team including a cyber expert had met Gajapati SP Tapan Kumar Pattanayak Wednesday and discussed the investigation progress so far.
Meanwhile, two police teams that had visited Soumya Ranjan’s native place Khaira in Balasore district and his wife’s parental village Goudagaon under Kaptipada police limits in Mayurbhanj district returned Wednesday. Paralakhemundi IIC Bibekananda Swain was also part of a team. It is said that they have collected some vital information that will help crack the mystery.
According to a source, the investigation will proceed on the basis of the information gathered by the police from the two places. When asked, IIC Swain refused to divulge anything saying it may hamper the investigation.
While DFO Sangram Keshari Behera has already been booked for his alleged involvement in the case, Gurandi OIC Mamata Panda is also under police scanner for detaining the ambulance that was on its way to hospital carrying a badly burnt Mohapatra at DFO’s office. Informing about the investigation, Gajapati SP Tapan Kumar Pattanayak said both officials will be questioned at an appropriate time.
Meanwhile, the police are waiting for postmortem report, hoping it will help solve the case.
Notably, Soumya suffered serious burn injuries at his official residence in Paralakhemundi while his wife was also present July 12. A severely burnt Soumya was rescued and rushed to the district headquarters hospital in Paralakhemundi. He had suffered 90 per cent burn injuries. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur and from there to a private hospital in Cuttack. He succumbed while undergoing treatment there.
PNN
