Bhubaneswar: Opposition BJP and Congress are skeptical about the alleged suicide by Mamita Meher murder case prime accused Gobinda Sahu in Kantabanji sub-jail and Wednesday demanded a CBI probe into the incident.
Alleging ‘Jungle Raj’ in the state, Odisha BJP president Samir Mohanty said, “If the jails and police stations are unsafe, one can imagine how safe are the people of the state.” He demanded a CBI probe to give justice to the family members of Sahu.
BJP MP Basanta Panda said the death of Sahu under mysterious circumstances has triggered suspicion as he was slated to be produced before a court later Tuesday.
There is every possibility that Sahu might have been eliminated as part of a big conspiracy to save high-profile leaders in the case, he claimed, demanding a high-level probe into the incident to ascertain whether it was a case of murder or suicide.
Demanding a CBI probe into the episode, Panda said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik should immediately hand over the matter to the Central agency for a thorough investigation as “the state police cannot be trusted anymore”.
BJP Mahila Morcha president Smruti Pattnaik said it sounds bizarre, but accused in high-profile murder cases in which ministers’ involvement were alleged, are dying under mysterious circumstances.
Kantabanji MLA and Congress leader Santosh Singh Saluja alleged that he was said to be under tremendous mental pressure as his bail pleas were rejected by Orissa High Court. Trial of Sahu was continuing in Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Kantabanji in Bolangir district.
Saluja also demanded a CBI probe into the circumstances under which Sahu ended his life inside the jail.
From the beginning of the case, the Opposition had put the state government in the dock. During his questioning, Sahu had managed to give the police a slip from a police barrack.
Following the controversy, the Orissa HC had nominated ABS Naidu, a former district judge, to monitor the investigation. The state government had requested Orissa HC to nominate a sitting or retired judge of the high court or a district and sessions judge to monitor the investigation of Mamita murder case.
Mamita, a resident of Turekela block in Bolangir district, was serving as a teacher at an English medium school in Mahaling of Kalahandi district. She went missing October 8, 2021 and police had recovered her decomposed body October 19 from an under-construction stadium at Mahaling. She was allegedly strangulated to death by Sahu, promoter of the school.
The murder had triggered massive political controversy as the Opposition political parties had alleged that former MoS for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra, a close associate of Sahu, was involved in the case.
PNN