BJP seeks Guv's intervention, wants Bhubaneswar mayor removed

Bhubaneswar: Alleging that the Odisha government is shielding Bhubaneswar Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena in the sex clip scandal and the death of an engineering student, BJP today sought intervention of Governor S C Jamir.

"We urge you to intervene and ensure removal of the mayor of Bhubaneswar city for a clean and transparent probe into the crime," the BJP memorandum to the governor said.

A delegation of the party led by its state president Basant Panda met Jamir at the Raj Bhavan here.

"We have drawn attention of the governor on the Odisha government's inaction on the cold blooded murder of an engineering student which is directly linked to a sex video circulated in the media," Panda said.

The BJP in the memorandum claimed that there were allegations that engineering student Ashutosh Mohanty alias Rishi Mohanty, who was in possession of the sex video, was murdered in a planned manner.

There were several clinching evidences to establish that the engineering student did not die an unnatural death, the party said adding, "it was most probably the result of a planned execution of murder of the student. Since the mayor is close to the chief minister, the police is not doing proper investigation".

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The the link between the sex video and the "planned murder" must be investigated and the guilty should be punished, it said.

"We are apprehensive about proper investigation as the case involves a person with capacity to influence the investigation due to closeness with the chief minister and the government," BJP said.

The party had earlier in the week organised a Bhubaneswar bandh, a statewide two-hour 'chakka jam' and demonstration before the DGP's office in Cuttack.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Congress held a dharna in front of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation office demanding the mayor's resignation.

"The police cannot undertake an impartial probe into the matter till the mayor continues in his post. Therefore, we demand a CBI probe," state Congress chief Prasad Harichandan said.