While the BJD and BJP continue to throw mud on each other over the death of Chittaranjan Palai, a close aide of ruling BJD leader and State Planning Board Deputy Chairperson Sanjay Das Burma, the family members of the deceased have appealed not to politicise the death.
Shubhadra Palai, wife of Chittaranjan, said that the case should not be politicised as she has full faith on the investigating agencies. "I have full confidence on the police and the Crime Branch. All should let the cops do their job. I'm sure I will get justice," she said.
Speaking over her questioning by the Crime Branch team, she said, "They asked me what Chittaranjan had given me before and after marriage. I simply replied, he (Chittaranjan) had given me chocolates. That's all they asked me."
Another relative of Chittaranjan said that the family has full faith on the premier investigating agency and it will bring all those involved in the crime to book. "No family member is involved in the murder. But there are some people around whom the Crime Branch will definitely nab," he said.
On the other hand, the BJP today took out a massive rally in Brahmagiri seeking justice for Chhitaranjan Palai and accused the Naveen Patnaik government of vehemently shielding the ‘tainted’ BJD leaders.
“Whenever a BJD leader is found involved in any case, through police probe and subsequent investigation by Crime Branch, the case gets suppressed. The tainted leaders are being shielded at any cost,” alleged BJP leader and Brahmagiri MLA, Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra.
He further said that the BJP wants CBI investigation into the case. “As the family members of the deceased had earlier alleged the involvement of a BJD legislator in the crime, we don’t think the Odisha police would conduct a free and fair investigation,” said the BJP MLA.
Meanwhile, speaking on the matter, BJD leader Sanjay Das Burma said that the investigation is underway. “I hope the probe will move in the right direction and the culprits will be punished.”