Bhubaneswar: With furore over the Kalahandi lady teachers kidnap and murder case, Saffron Veteran, Bijoy Mohapatra Sunday apparently dropped a bombshell by claiming that the Odisha Government was aware on an effort for a compromise between the prime accused and the victim at the Raipur residence of Minister of State for Home DS Mishra.
While Mishra and the state government were yet to react over the Mr.Mohapatra’s allegations, Governing BJD Spokesperson Lenin Mohanty in a statement said, “The allegations made by the BJP leader are unjustified and baselsss. The police has been undertaking investigation into the murder case with all sincerity. The senior officer monitoring the probe has the experience in working in a central investigating agency.”
BJP Veteran at a Media Meet here also claimed that the compromise bid continued for the last two months before the 24-year-old lady teacher was kidnapped and killed on 8 October. Her body was exhumed from the school playground on 19 October.
“This has been going on for the past two months and efforts were made to settle issues between the deceased and the accused at the minister’s residence at Raipur in Chhattisgarh,” the BJP Veteran pointed out.
Expressing displeasure over the ongoing investigation into the case, Mr.Mohapatra, a known bête noire of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, raised questions saying, “Why has the police not so far recorded the confessional statement of the prime accused before a magistrate. Judicial confession of crime is vital, which the police is not doing. This indicated the motive to suppress the incident.”
Referring to the police version quoting the prime accused that the mobile phone of the deceased lady teacher was burnt down, Mr.Mohapatra said, “The call recording of the Minister will reveal everything. As per my information, the police has conducted a call recording of the Minister and a report has been given to the Government in a sealed cover.”
“I understand that some officers have suppressed the call recording report and did not place it before the Chief Minister. I urge the CM to examine all the reports and find out prima facie as he is in-charge of the Home department and take action accordingly,” BJP Veteran asked.
The senior BJP leader also clarified that he is not politicizing the incident, rather trying to put the facts before the people of Odisha.
“I am not a BJP spokesman or speaking on behalf of any organization. I want the people to not be fooled,” he said.
MoS Home DS Mishra is in the eye of the storm following escape of the prime accused from a police barrack at Titlagarh in Bolangir district on October 17 night. The opposition alleged that the minister was closely linked to the prime accused for which he could escape from the police custody using his influence.
“Why the police keep the prime accused in the police barrack instead of the Hazat? There is no point in suspending some low ranking policemen in the incident,” Mohapatra said.
Meanwhile, both the BJP and the Congress have threatened to further intensify stir demanding the Minister’s dismissal. While BJP has given a 12-hour bandh call in Mayurbhanj district, the Congress has announced to stage demonstration before Naveen Niwas, the residence of the Chief Minister.
Odisha BJP president Samir Mohanty has also demanded a clarification from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on whether the investigation of the case will be handed over to CBI or any action will be taken against the minister in question.
Congress spokesperson Debasish Patnaik said that many BJD leaders were in close contact with the prime accused for which his private institutions were availing grants from the government in different manner.
BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty, however, claimed that the leaders of different parties are linked to the private institution at Mahaling in kalahandi district run by the prime accused.
Mr.Mohanty claimed that former Congress MP Bhakta Charan Das had given Rs 36 lakh to the said institution at Mahaling from his MPLAD funds.
“The representative of BJP MP Basant Panda is also one of the members of the managing committee of educational institutions run by the prime accused,” Mohanty said in a statement.
Meanwhile, All India Mahila Congress President Netta D’Souza met the family members of the deceased lady teacher in Bolangir district and demanded dismissal of the Minister for his alleged link with the prime accused. “The Minister of State (Home) should be removed first to carry out a fair probe into the murder case,” Ms.D’ Souza said.
