A local court on Saturday expressed its displeasure at the Mahanga police for not submitting the reinvestigation report in connection with the sensational double murder case in Mahanga of Cuttack district.
Salepur Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court has directed the police to submit probe status report and call detail records (CDRs) of deceased Prafulla Biswal, the prime accused in the case and two associates of Minister Pratap Jena- Sarat Nayak and Bapi Biswal.
Sarat Nayak is the chairman of Mahanga block while Bapi Biswal reportedly acts as the representative of Minister Pratap Jena.
According to sources, the order of the court came in response to a petition filed by Ramakanta Baral, son of deceased BJP leader Kulamani Baral. Baral, who was the block chairman of Mahanga and his associate Dibyasingha Baral were brutally killed on January 2 this year.
As Law and Panchayati Raj Minister Pratap Jena was the 13th accused in the Mahanga double murder case and his name was deleted from chargesheet, Ramakanta Baral had filed a protest petition in the Salepur court.
Acting on the petition, on August 25, 2021 the Salepur Judicial Magistrate had ordered the police to reinvestigate the case and submit a report. However, the police have not submitted any probe report so far, said Prabin Kanungo, counsel of Ramakanta Baral.
Notably, 13 persons including Minister Pratap Jena were booked under various sections of the IPC, including 302 (murder) in the murder case after a complaint was lodged by Ramakanta Baral.
Subsequently, prime accused Prafulla Biswal was found dead under mysterious circumstances on NH-16 at Bandalo within Tangi police limits in February this year.