Bhubaneswar: While the BJP and Congress stepped up stir demanding resignation of the Minister of State for Home, DS Mishra in the Kalahandi lady teacher kidnap and murder cases, ruling BJD said the Opposition is indulging in petty politics over very sensitive issues. Meanwhile, the prime accused Friday revealed that he had chopped up the body before setting it on fire.
Opposition BJP and JMM activists staged a black flag demonstration in Baripada town when Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik visited the tribal dominated Mayurbhanj district for launching distribution of the Smart Health Card under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY). The activists attempted to show black flag to the chief minister when he was returning to the helipad at Chhau Padia. They, however, failed to reach Patnaik’s vehicle due to tight security, police said.
The activists raised slogan demanding dismissal of the minister, statement from the Chief Minister and justice for the deceased lady teacher’s family. The demonstration turned violent when a section of BJD activists allegedly attacked the BJP activists and left three of them injured. Subharnsu Rout, Suryabansi Suraj and Kuna Mohanta were admitted at the government hospital in Baripada after receiving blows on their faces, allegedly by BJD workers.
Both BJP and JMM have lodged separate FIRs at Baripada Town Police Station making allegations that they were assaulted by the ruling BJD activists while democratically demonstrating on streets.
Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO), K K Hariprasad said the police have so far arrested two persons on charge of creating disturbance during the Chief Minister’s visit to Mayurbhanj district on an official programme. More people may be rounded up as investigation is on, he said.
BJD spokesperson Ipsita Sahoo told media persons that BJP is indulging in petty politics over very sensitive issues. “Our party is serious enough to ensure justice to the victim’s family and to bring to book the culprit,” she said while slamming BJP for its actions which are putting the career of hundreds of students into jeopardy. Even parents of the student do not appreciate such actions of BJP, she said.
Meanwhile, a group of women activists of BJP Mahila Morcha barged into the Capital Police Station here and filed a FIR against the MoS Home, D S Mishra and raised slogans against minister for his alleged ‘links’ with the prime accused. They too demanded the minister’s arrest.
“It is a shame for the women across the State and the country. We have filed an FIR at Capital Police Station demanding arrest of Minister Mishra. If no actions forthcoming, then BJP Mahila Morcha will intensify the ongoing stir,” warned Urmila Mohapatra, BJP spokesperson.
Meanwhile, former minister and senior BJP leader Surama Padhi asked: “Let the Chief Minister come out with a statement that his minister of State for Home, is innocent and he has no role in the killing of the lady teacher.”
It is high time, the Chief Minister should give assurance to the women of the state that they are secured in the BJD regime, Padhi said.
Meanwhile, a report from Bhawanbipatna, the district headquarter of Kalahandi said that a section of Youth Congress activists hurled rotten eggs at the parental house of minister DS Mishra. They demanded Mishra’s resignation for the fair investigation.
The 24-year-old woman teacher of a private school at Mahaling in Kalahandi district, went missing on October 8 and her body was exhumed from underneath the 10-feet depth ground on October 19. Two persons including an alleged close aide of the minister, were arrested in this connection following which the demands are made since four days for resignation of Mishra.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly and senior BJP leader, PK Naik, has demanded a compensation of Rs 2 crore for the family members of deceased lady teacher and a government job for a family member.
Naik also demanded to verify the call detail records of the Minister and the prime accused. “As per media reports, the prime accused had spoken to a powerful person for about two minutes after killing the lady teacher. The deceased woman’s family also alleged Home Minister Dibyashankar Mishra of being involved in the incident,” Naik said.
“Is the person to whom the prime accused talked after the killing, the minister? Hence, the call detail records of the prime accused and their associates should come under the purview of the investigation and made public,” Naik said in a twitter post.
In another development, a five-member team of Odisha Mahila Congress led by its President Bandita Parida also the lady teacher’s house in Bolangir district and also demanded stringent action against the prime accused and resignation of the Minister.
The family members of the deceased teacher demanded capital punishment for the culprits involved in the kidnap and killing of the innocent woman. “We will get justice when the culprits are hanged,” the teacher’s paents said.
Meanwhile, a team of Bolangir police on the wee hours of Friday brought the prime accused to the murder spot and the school playground where the body was buried. While the prime accused recreated the scene, it was heard from the video shoot by the local journalists, saying that he chopped up the body of the lady teacher before setting it on fire. He narrated the events vividly in front of the camera.
“I brought the body to the spot between 8 PM and 9 PM. I chopped off the body and set it on fire. I waited for around 15 minutes as the body was burning. I also threw her bag, mobile phone and other belongings into the flre,” the prime accused was heard saying during a crime scene reconstruction in the presence of police.
In another incident, the family member of the second accused arrested on Thursday, staged a dharna in front of the Kegaon police station claiming that their relative was working under the prime accused and he has no such role in the kidnap and murder incident.
The second accused persons’ wife handed over a bag to the police where three pairs of ladies clothes, a mobile phone, a charger and some medicines were kept. The bag was brought to the house by the second accused 10 days ago, his wife said.
Earlier, DIG, Northen Range, Deepak Kumar had told reporters that the prime accused, who is also the president of the private school killed the lady teacher as she had threatened to expose him. The accused was holding a grudge against her and in order to take revenge, he eliminated her, Dr.Kumar had said earlier.
As the police was busy in investigation, the reports of protest and agitation demanding the minister’s resignation poured in from different parts of the state.