Bhubaneswar: Tension prevailed in Brajrajnagar in wake of a murderous attack on Odisha Health Minister Naba Das by an assistant sub-inspector of police Sunday.
Supporters of Naba Das raised concerns over alleged security lapses by local police behind the incident.
Some of the supporters claimed that a conspiracy was hatched to target him.
Brajrajnagar SDPO Gupteswar Bhoi said that the ASI who shot Naba Das was currently being interrogated, and more details will be available after a thorough probe.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik condemned the attack on Das.
“I am shocked at the unfortunate incident of attack on honourable minister Naba Das. I strongly condemn the attack on him. I pray for his early recovery”, said the CM.
“Senior officers of Crime Branch have been asked to go to the spot,” Patnaik said in a statement”, Naveen added.
The incident took place in Brajrajnagar town around 1 pm when the minister, who was on his way to attend a programme in the district, had alighted from the car to greet people.
The accused ASI was nabbed by locals, who then handed him over to the police, as per a police source.
In video footage that is in possession of PTI, Naba Kishore Das is seen bleeding from the chest with people trying to lift the injured minister, who seemed unconscious and place him on the front seat of a car.
Initially, the Minister was taken to the Jharsuguda district headquarters hospital, Brajrajnagar SDPO Gupteswar Bhoi said.
Arrangements were then made to airlift him to a Bhubaneswar hospital for “better treatment”, the SDPO stated.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Prateek Singh said a green corridor has been set up in the state capital for ferrying the minister to the Bhubaneswar hospital.
“Police personnel have been deployed along the corridor to ensure his safe passage,” Singh said.
The minister, a strongman in the mining hub of Jharsuguda, had switched over to the BJD from the Congress ahead of 2019 elections. He is known to have business interests in coal mining, transportation, and hospitality sectors.
PTI
