Berhampur: Police Sunday arrested the nephew of Odisha Transport minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena on charge of abetment of suicide of a woman student in a private engineering college in Ganjam district, an officer said.
The accused was identified as Biswajit Jena, 24, the nephew of the minister and alleged boyfriend of the deceased 20-year-old woman student of Bachelor in Computer Application (BCA). The deceased was found hanging from the ceiling in her hostel room Saturday.
Based on the report of the uncle of the deceased, a case was registered at Golanthara police station under section 108 BNS (abetment to suicide) against Biswajit Jena, and an investigation was started, said SP Berhampur Saravana Vivek M.
Senior police officers, including the SP, visited the scene of the crime, and the scientific team and an executive magistrate also visited the spot.
The deceased was staying with her sister and three other 3 roommates in the girls’ hostel room.
During the investigation, the scientific team collected digital evidence and other such materials before the arrest of Jena. The electronic devices of the deceased and the accused were seized by the police for scientific and technical investigation
As per the complaint lodged by the deceased student’s maternal uncle, Biswajit Jena was also a BCA student at the same college.
The SP said the woman student was found hanging from the ceiling of her hostel room, and the exact cause of her death would be ascertained after receiving the post-mortem report. Investigation is going on, and appropriate action will be taken, he said.
Neither the minister nor the accused nephew nor any of their family members were available for comment on the issue.
Earlier, opposition BJD demanded the immediate arrest of the accused. The police must arrest the accused, notwithstanding his relationship with the minister. The law must take its own course, said former MLA Ramesh Chandra Ayyau Patnaik, the BJD’s Ganjam district president.
Rajeswari Dora, deputy chairman of Ganjam Zilla Parishad, also demanded the immediate arrest of Jena, who is booked on the charge of abetment to suicide.
Saroj Sabat, BJP’s Ganjam district president, said police were investigating the case.