Sharmili Mallick

After grilling three doctors for over three hours on Wednesday, the State Crime Branch is likely to quiz some more people in connection with the death of Paralakhemundi Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra.

The three-member CB team headed by DSP Gyana Ranjan Mishra said that more people and, if required, the Inspector-in-Charge of Paralakhemundi Police Station will also be questioned in connection with the case. 

“The Crime Branch will examine all the people who are found to have connection with the case. Paralakhemundi Police Station IIC might also be questioned in connection with the case,” said the Crime Branch DSP.

It may noted here that the family members of deceased Soumya Ranjan had earlier accused the Paralakhemundi police station IIC Vivekananda Swain of concealing vital details of the case.

On Wednesday, the team quizzed three doctors at Paralakhemundi Hospital, who had attended Soumya Ranjan after he was charred under suspicious circumstances on the night of July 11. 

Apart from the three doctors, Paralakhemundi Tehsildar Achyutananda Jani, who recorded the dying declaration of Soumya Ranjan, was also questioned by the Crime Branch team on Wednesday for around an hour.

When he was approached after the questioning by the Crime Branch, Tehsildar Jani denied to speak or divulge any details related to the case.

The CB team had also quizzed two forest staff, gardener Ajay Kumar Behera and watchman Santosh Biswal on Tuesday.
On Monday, Soumya’s cook Manmath Kambha, ACFs Gouri Ratha and Bhaskar Rao and forest staffer B Akash were questioned by the probing team.

(Edited By Pradeep Singh)

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