As per reports, red flags were put up around the guest house by the district administration in the presence of Tehsildar and the Inspector In-Charge (IIC) after sealing of the main gate.
Collector & Tehsildar have confirmed that the guest house was built on government land and will be demolished after the investigation of Smitarani death case concludes.
The guest house came into the police scanner after the dead body of Smitarani was found hanging there. It was later revealed that the guest house belonged to Rupesh Bhadra, the husband of the Sarpanch of Haridaspur Panchayat. Rupesh has been arrested by the police.
Minati Behera's comments came after the BJP Mahila Morcha today staged a demonstration in front of the commission's office demanding her resignation over lapses in probe.
The BJP Mahila Morcha gheraoed the commission's office today and in the process engaged in a scuffle with police too.
Speaking to the media, Minati said, “The Commission visited the spot twice to assess the situation and spoke to every party related to the incident. However, we are dissatisfied with the investigation so far, so we have written a letter to the Crime Branch to take over the probe.”
Replying to OTV’s query on Jajpur SP Charan Singh Meena’s comments on Smitarani’s illicit affair with arrested Rupesh Bhadra, the husband of the Haridaspur Sarpanch, Minati said, “The comment by SP Meena is inappropriate and he shouldn’t have said that without proof.”
It is learnt that the sarpanch was just acting as a rubber stamp and it was her husband Rupesh who actually took all the decisions in the Panchayat.
One villager said, “I don’t know the sarpanch. The only person I know is Rupesh who distributes old age pension and takes all the major decisions concerning the Panchayat.”
Sources said, on the fateful day, Rupesh went to distribute pension money in a car with Smitarani as usual and after some hours she was found dead in his guest house which has now been sealed by the police.
Smita’s father Sadanand Biswal questioned Rupesh’s activity and said, “He called me at around 2:35 PM to inform me that my daughter hanged herself. I reached hospital as soon as possible and found that Smitarani was dead.”
Seemingly, the opposition parties in Odisha have taken a leaf out of this famous American saying as they stepped up their onslaught on ruling BJD over the death of lady PEO Smitarani in State Assembly, especially when BJD is in a high, post historic Bijepur win.
What comes in handy for the opposition is the involvement of a BJD functionary (hubby of BJD sarpanch), and the mysterious death trails, that too of a woman.
Moreover, the place of the incident, the guest house where the lady PEO was found dead, is itself mired in controversies. And when the controversy surrounding the land parcel type acquired for the guest house hinted at abuse of power and highhandedness, it made the ruling BJD a punch bag for the opposition.
The opposition derives the requisite ammo to fire at ruling BJD, when panchayat officials across the State took to the streets protesting and demanding security from the State government.
Also, opposition derived firepower from the statement of deceased PEO's father, Sadananda Biswal, that ‘’my daughter was killed’’. "The police and district administration are deliberately trying to hide the truth behind my daughter’s murder to save the accused involved in the crime," he alleged and rejected the MoS Home Dibyashankar Mishra's claim of suicide.
Under frontal attack from opposition, the ruling BJD put up a brave face and ruled out any foul play. The State government has rejected the opposition demand of CBI probe into the matter.
The MoS Home Dibya Shankar Mishra said in Assembly as the post-mortem report clearly mentioned 'asphyxiation as the cause of death, it is a case of suicide not murder. He added, "The accused Rakesh Bhadra has been arrested and the law will take its own course." Mishra hit back at the opposition charging them of playing cheap politics over a sensitive matter.
However, the opposition is not ready to buy the State government's argument. The main opposition party BJP to press its demand of registering the case under IPC section 302 (Murder charge) today staged a silent protest in the Assembly.
Party MLAs led by leader of opposition Pradipta Naik covered their mouths with black cloth to protest in Assembly against what he called the 'gagging of BJP's voice' on the Smitarani Biswal issue by ruling BJD.
Why the opposition is not in a mood to buy asphyxiation led death as suicide?
As per medico-legal experts asphyxiation-led death could be suicide or strangulation.
What is Asphyxiation? As per Department of legal medicine, Tokyo, Asphyxia is commonly defined as "a hypoxic state in the body" which is caused by any one of a wide range of events, starting from an insufficiency of atmospheric oxygen to a failure in oxygen uptake by the cells.
An analysis in Journal of Emergencies, Trauma, and Shock shows that asphyxia will take place either by strangulation or by hanging. Because, closure of blood vessels or air passages happen by external pressure in both cases.
Therefore, medico-legal experts are of the view that forensic evidence and analysis of time lapse before reporting of death in hospital prove crucial.
It's this grey area the opposition- BJP and Congress - are latching on to demand a CBI probe.
‘Rangasala’, constructed by Rupesh Bhadra, is the same building from where the body of Smitarani Biswal, the lady village level worker (VLW) & in-charge panchayat executive officer (PEO) of Haridaspur, was recovered a month ago.
Seeking information and necessary clarification with regard to renovation proposals, Jajpur district Collector Ranjan Das in a letter to Principal Secretary, Revenue & Disaster management department, stated, "Approaches have been received from different forums for utilisation of the building (Rangasala) as Public library, orphanage or old-age home instead of demolishing the said building."
"Under the present scenario, it may be please be clarified whether it will be a rightful and legitimate step to demolish the building or allow the said unauthorised building to be used for any of the above mentioned public purposes," Das mentioned in his letter.
Meanwhile, Smitarani's father-in-law Sitakanta Biswal has raised objections demanding that Rangasala needs to be demolished. "I am not in favour of renovation, because again he (Rupesh Bhadra) will come out in bail and same things will happen under the patronage of powerful persons and ministers. The building should be completely demolished. If the building stays erect, crimes will continue."