Palamu SP: Journo death case ‘complex’

The journalist death case is complex and police is investigating from every angle, said Indrajeet Mahatha, Palamu SP. On the intervening night of May 16/17 Rehla police led by its lady officer Nootan Modi raided a house of a woman health worker but no tangible results came out of this, added the SP.

The SP said the FSL team of Ranchi, which was in Daltonganj on Wednesday, rushed to the community health centre in Bishrampur and recovered some material evidence like bangle, ring, blouse dropper etc from the spot of crime. The FSL team also found one strand of hair which will be put to DNA test to match if the hair was of the deceased or of others involved in this case, added the SP.

Police rued as it could not go ahead with CCTV footage since on May 16 there was no power supply in the community health centre Bishrampur where this crime took place. The body was found in a room on the first floor of the centre and opposite to this room it is said a doctor sat and examined the patient but it is further alleged none heard or saw anything in this regard, which is very mysterious to police.

The SP directed DSP Surjit Kumar to find out the fact in this regard as he said the community health centre in-charge was away from Bishrampur for some official works here in Daltonganj. Out of two cell phones FSL team could find only one.

One smartphone is said to be missing said Mahatha who added further that police have taken down all the 4 cell phone numbers in use of this deceased for further technical analysis of outgoing and incoming calls of him on May 16 or before. The FSL team has recovered a handkerchief with ‘M’ written on it. The SP talking about this M written hanky said this appears to be a gifted one from a lady and now police are trying to find out whose gift is this which was in the deceased’s pocket and what connection it has with the deceased. Keshri was also a trainer of health workers in the community health centre Bishrampur Post mortem of Keshri was delayed by little over half an hour as media persons wanted SP to be there in the premise of the post mortem house to update on this case which the SP did and kept DSP Surjit and inspector town ps Tarun Kumar in attendance there. The SP has categorically denied that this death is in any way related to any fall out of Keshri’s any writing or write up or news story. There is not even a remote chance of it he reiterated.

To a question if Keshri was gagged to death first and then hanged by a hook of a ceiling fan SP said, “Throttling is there. But it is difficult as to what happened first. Gagged to death and then hanged or the man went for hanging. Let post mortem report come first. Things will be clear. But there is woman in the crime scene. The presence of woman is most evident.”