BJP demands Patnaik aides be brought in purview of probe into minister’s murder

BHUBANESHWAR, (PTI): Odisha BJP veteran Jaynarayan Mishra Tuesday demanded that two close aides of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik be brought under the purview of the probe into the murder of former minister Naba Kishore Das and verification of their call records.

He reiterated that the case be handed over to CBI for an impartial probe.

The two who were named by Mishra, the leader of opposition, are Patnaik’s private secretary V.K Pandian, an IAS officer, and the BJD organising secretary and Jajpur MLA Pranab Prakash Das.

Naba Kishore Das, the former state health and family welfare minister, was shot at by an assistant sub inspector of police at Brajrajnagar in Jharsuguda district on January 29.

Mishra, who was speaking to reporters in the Assembly premises after he led a boycott of Governor Ganeshi Lal in the House, said “I demand that Pandian Ji and Jajpur MLA Pranab Prakash Das be brought under the purview of investigation and their call records for four days before Naba Das’ killing be verified. As the Odisha Police is incapable of it, the case should be handed over to the CBI for an impartial investigation”. Pandian’s and Das’ comments could not be got as they did not respond to calls by PTI.

Both of them are considered highly influential both in the BJD government and the ruling party. Mishra had earlier alleged that several high profile people are involved in the minister’s killing and must be investigated by CBI. He had given up his personal security officer on February 3 after the killing.

”I have no faith in the Odisha Police,” he said. “The ASI was merely the shooter, but who was his handler? I will soon expose the mystery surrounding the brutal murder,” Mishra had claimed some days ago.

Senior BJD leader and government chief whip Prasant Muduli hit back saying, “The BJP should maintain a distance from the leader of opposition as he has a history of criminal records and more than a dozen criminal cases against him. He (Mishra) had earlier attacked the BJP state unit president and was caught on camera (on February 16) manhandling a woman police officer in Sambalpur. What does one expect from him?”

Meanwhile, the slain minister’s daughter Deepali Das on Tuesday appealed to all parties not to politicise her father’s death. “The family is still in a shock. We have trust in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who stood by the family during the crisis like a father. The case is being monitored by a retired High Court judge and we have trust in it.”

Opposition chief whip Mohan Majhi and Congress whip Taraprasad Bahinipati said the slain minister’s daughter might have given the statement in the media under pressure from the ruling party as she has a political future.