ZP member death: Minister Samir Dash breaks silence; death due to asphyxiation  

Breaking his silence over the Opposition’s allegation of his involvement in ZP member Dharmendra Sahoo Death, School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash on Monday said he doesn’t care what the Opposition party is saying at a time when Sahoo’s family hasn’t uttered a word against him so far. 

“I am shocked because the incident occurred under my Zilla Parishad zone. But, I am not aware of charges being cooked up against me. While nothing as such has come from his family side as yet, I don’t think it proper to give my comment on the allegations levelled by the Opposition party,” said Dash. 

Meanwhile, the post-mortem report of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Zilla Parishad member Dharmendra Sahoo, who was found hanging in his residence at Sishupalgarh area on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, reveals asphyxiation caused his death. The report also claims that the body didn’t have injury marks on it. 

Following the death of Sahoo, Opposition BJP and Congress alleged Dash’s involvement in the case. They also demanded Dash must resign and he must be brought into the purview of investigation. 

Notably, the member of ZP Zone 11 in Nimapara was found hanging from the balcony of his house on September 24. Meanwhile, the police have seized the CCTV camera footage, sent two mobile phones of the deceased BJD leader to forensic laboratory for examination. They have also interrogated his wife, family members and the cook living on the first floor of the building at Laxmi Vihar in Sishupalgarh area.