Tag: Naba Das

Behera’s statement came in response to an adjournment motion in the Odisha Assembly on Thursday.

The senior BJP leader further alleged that all attempts are being made by the prosecution to term the accused Gopal Das as mentally unsound.

Launching a counter-attack, Mishra said that 180 cases are registered against 46 MLAs from the ruling BJD. Of this, cases under section 307 have been registered against six MLAs. According to Mishra, 19 cases are lodged against Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and 29 cases against Talcher MLA.

The assassinated minister used to have a stronghold over the coal and transportation business. His dominance over the ash and mineral transportation and coal business grew soon after 2004 when he entered into active politics.

After some mandatory procedures, Gopal’s brother Satyanarayan Das was allowed to meet. It is learnt that they met in the presence of security personnel. They were allowed to talk for some time. 

“During the Padampur by-election, late health minister Naba Das had told me that Dharmendra Pradhan and Jayanarayan Mishra were using force and intimidating him,” said Maharathy. 

From the photographs, the dismissed Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Gopal can be seen standing right in front of health minister Naba Das. However, the photograph which went viral on Monday doesn’t clearly indicate whether Gopal was carrying a gun in his hand or not.

Speaking to the media, the daughter of the slain minister said, “We have never thought that something like this will happen. My family is really disturbed. So, I request everyone not politicise the matter as it is a very sensitive case.”

While staging a demonstration on the Odisha Assembly premises on the first day of the budget session, Mishra claimed that the health minister’s killing was ‘government-sponsored’ and suspected the involvement of 5T Secretary VK Pandian and Jajpur MLA Pranab Prakash Das in the crime.

The picture shows, Gopal at a very close range of Naba Das at Gandhi Chhak in Brajarajnagar on the fateful day of January 29.

Responding to media queries, Majhi said, “The DGP is silent even if 23 days have passed since the murder of Naba Das. He is DGP only in pen and paper. But the real DG is on the third floor of the Odisha Secretariat.”

While the entire State is eagerly waiting to know the motive behind the murder of the minister, neither the probing agency nor the Odisha DGP Sunil Bansal has uttered a single word in this regard.

Mishra further alleged that those, who are involved in the Naba Das murder, are doing conspiracy against him. "As several high profile people are involved in the murder, we are demanding a CBI probe," he said.

However, what has come as a major concern at this crucial juncture is the silence maintained by senior Crime Branch officials including Arun Bothra.

Addressing a presser in Bhubaneswar, BJP Yuva Morcha President, Irashish Acharya on Friday questioned the silence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.