Rourkela: Police investigating the mysterious demise of Rourkela assistant collector Sushmita Minz checked Tuesday the call details record (CDR) of the deceased. It is quite clear now that the investigation is gathering pace. DSP Banita Majhi of the Investigative Unit of Crime against Women (IUCAW) said the investigation is going on at a brisk pace. “We at this moment, have seized the CDR of the deceased and examining it,” informed Majhi. “Now we will question all those who had talked to Sushmita in the last few days before her death. We have already questioned her maternal uncle and aunt. We have also summoned the person she last talked to over the mobile before her death,” Majhi added.
Police have questioned Gurundia block BDO Bernabesh Lakra and CDPO Fulgencia Ekka October 4. They summoned Sushmita’s husband Sushil Topno and he appeared before the police October 6. He was grilled for more than two hours. It should be stated here that Sushil, who works in a bank and is presently posted in Chhattisgarh, and Susmita were not on the best of terms and their divorce was on the anvil. In fact, Sushmita had appeared in court for the hearing September 16.
However, three days later, September 19, Sushmita’s body was found floating in a pond at the Sensory Park here. Even though Sushmita’s postmortem report mentioned it was death by drowning, her family alleged that she had been murdered. Her brother Sandeep Minz filed a complaint against the BDO, CDPO, ADM Rourkela, District Collector of Sundargarh and lady ASI of Uditnagar, Alice Narmi Lugun, who allegedly was the PSO to Sushmita. To compound matters Lugun died under mysterious circumstances while trying to control an irate mob at the Hanuman Vatika locality here few days back. Her family has also alleged ‘foul play’ behind her death.
