Bhubaneswar: After receiving criticism from various quarters, Minister of State (MoS) Dibya Shankar Mishra broke his silence on the sensational Mamita Meher murder case.
Issuing a written statement, Mishra said he is deeply saddened and anguished by the unfortunate death of Mamita.
“I am a father and I can understand the trauma the family must be going through. My deepest condolences to the family of Mamita. The guilty must be given strictest punishment as per law,” he said.
The Minister said he was shocked by the manner in which certain media houses have launched a malicious character assassination campaign based on falsehood against him.
The smear campaign launched by the media houses has hurt his family and therefore his family has filed criminal and civil defamation case against three regional media groups.
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“This malicious smear campaign by these media and opposition political parties marks a new low in the political discourse of Odisha, especially where certain sections of media are being used for narrow political gains at the cost of truth, empathy and sensitivity in heinous offences,” he said.
The MoS Home further said he have always believed that in sensitive heinous offences, law enforcement agencies should act in a free and fair manner so that the accused meet the ends of justice. Hence, he always avoided commenting on heinous offences till now.
As an MLA as well as an ex-air force officer, he has attended functions at many educational institutions. In fact public representatives are supposed to attend functions in educational institutions.
“Therefore, a crime happening in any one of the institutions that I have visited as a guest for functions cannot be attributed to me,” he clarified.
He urged the opposition political parties and media, if they have an iota of evidence against me in this matter, then please take it to the police or the courts.
“I will not only resign from my position but will also retire from public life but don’t indulge in smear campaigns with personal political agenda,” the Minister dared.
“I had left the high paying job of a Pilot and joined politics to serve the people of Junagarh and Kalahandi. I swear in the name of Maa Manikeswari on whom I as well as people of Kalahandi have deep faith in, that I have nothing to do with this offence,” he added.
Meanwhile, Opposition BJP and Congress continued their attack on the State government and Minister Mishra over the issue.
Earlier in the day, a three-member central BJP team led by Mahila Morcha National President Vanathi Srinivasan met Mamita’s family at their native Jharni village of Bolangir district.
“The family is in shock. We have doubts about the process of investigation by the police department. How did Gobinda Sahu escape from police custody?” questioned Srinivasan.
Stating the close links of Mishra with the main accused has been established, she demanded resignation of the Minster.
Lok Sabha member from Haryana Sunita Duggal said, “Her parents want death sentence for those involved in the murder case and we will try our best to ensure justice to the victim’s family.”
Senior BJP leader and MP Aparajita Sarangi questioned the silence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on this issue and demanded CBI probe into the murder case.
BJP youth wing activists scuffled with the police when they were stopped from gherao the SP office in Berhampur today demanding ouster of Mishra.
Senior Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das demanded arrest of Mishra before October 30. Otherwise, his party would hit the streets across the district, he warned.
PNN