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The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Gajapati, Sangram Keshari Behera and OIC of Gurandi police station Mamata Panda will be questioned in connection with the death of Paralakhemundi Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra, informed Gajapati SP Tapan Patnaik on Wednesday.
“The DFO has been brought under the purview of investigation. He will be questioned in due time,” Patnaik told during a media briefing.
The DFO has been named an accused in the murder case which has been filed in connection with the mysterious death of the 32-year-old ACF following an online complaint made by the deceased’s father Abhiram Mohapatra. The other accused named in the FIR are the widow of the young forest officer, Bidya Bharati Panda and his cook.
Speaking about Gurandi police station OIC Mamata Panda whose role has come under the scanner for reportedly intercepting an ambulance carrying Soumya Ranjan to hospital, the Gajapati SP said the woman cop will also be summoned for questioning in connection with the investigation.
“The woman police officer will be questioned over the circumstances under which the ambulance was stopped and if she had any role to play in the interception of the ambulance,” the SP said.
“There was no departmental instruction for her to go to the spot. So we will question the reason and circumstances that warranted her visit the spot and intercept the ambulance carrying the victim without any instruction from the department,” he added.
The SP further said a Crime Branch team has reached the district to assist the Paralakhemundi police in the investigation. He said some cyber experts of the team who will examine the call deta record (CDR) of those associated with the case.
“The police and the Crime Branch team will jointly probe all the aspects of the case that have cropped up so far and collect evidence accordingly,” he added.
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Meanwhile, OIC Mamata Panda dodged questioned when asked about her role in intercepting the ambulance and refused to comment citing investigation protocol.
“I do not want to comment on the issue at this stage as it has already come under the purview of investigation. I will reveal about it during the investigation and you will get to know. I will request you to wait for a while,” she said.
