Rishi death: BMC Mayor using his clout to hush up case!

Bhubaneswar: While resentment in the political circles is brewing over the alleged involvement of BMC Mayor Anant Narayan Jena in connection with the mysterious death of Rishi, an engineering student, and an immoral act shown in a video clipping which is circulated in the social media, attempts made by the former to counter the charge by using his clout have raised serious doubts on his modus operandi.

This has become evident following a letter written by Rishi’s mother on Saturday night to the media through the Additional Public Relations Officer (APRO) of BMC who had sent the letter to the media through WhatsApp message. “This letter is written by Rusi Mohanty’s mother. It’s a very important document which may be taken as reference,” the APRO had mentioned this along with the letter in his WhatsApp message.

In the letter, Rishi’s mother had requested not to implicate the BMC Mayor in the death of her son.

Now the obvious question is, if Rishi’s mother was to request the media, she would have directly made a request to it instead of making the request through the BMC APRO. Secondly, how come she knew that the Mayor is not involved in the death of her son? Is it not possible that she has been pressurised to write the letter?

Besides, in another instance, the media has received a copy of the verdict of the First Additional Senior Civil Judge, Bhubaneswar which is typed in official pad of the BMC Mayor wherein the media is asked to restrain itself from publishing, telecasting or circulating any defamatory contains against the petitioner. Not only this, the BMC Mayor has requested the media in the same letter pad not to telecast the said defamatory contents as per the directive of the court failing which the media would be liable to be proceeded for contemptuous action.

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Asked about the attempts made by the BMC Mayor, senior lawyer Madhumadhav Jena said the party should maintain decency and should not cross the laxmanrekha. “If the court will be apprised of what the Mayor has done, it will give orders accordingly,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, reacting to the statement of Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who, while briefing the media earlier in the day, had said that the attempts had been made to hush up the case as some influential leaders of the ruling party are involved in it, BJD vice president Damodar Rout said he (Dharmendra) can say whatever he wants as is very close to the Prime Minister.

He said the charges framed against the BMC Mayor have to be proved. “If the Mayor is found guilty, I would be happy if the court sends him to the gallows,” he added.