Crime Branch takes over probe into BJP leader's murder

BHUBANESWAR: The state Crime Branch was on Tuesday entrusted to probe the murder of BJP leader Manguli Jena at Khurda late on Sunday night. Earlier, the CB was only asked to assist the Khurda police in the probe.

"The case has been handed over to the Crime Branch. Efforts are on to identify and arrest the killers," DGP B K Sharma told TOI. Asked whether the murder was the fallout of political rivalry or personal enmity, DGP Sharma said only a probe could reveal the details.

At midnight on Sunday, miscreants gunned down Manguli Jena (46), the Khurda zone president of BJP, outside the house of the party’s candidate for the Khurda assembly segment, Kalu Khandayatray. Jena, who was about to climb onto his four-wheeler after a meeting with Khandayatray, when he was shot dead by two bike-borne men. He was declared brought dead by doctors at a nearby hospital.

The BJP blamed BJD for the murder, even as chief minister Naveen Patnaik condemned it and urged the Election Commission to launch a probe.

“Last night, BJD goons murdered our Khurda Zone-9 Mandal president Manguli Jena ji. This is the real face of BJD. The party has been jolted by the support and love that BJP is bestowed with in Odisha,” BJP national spokesperson and Puri Lok Sabha nominee Sambit Patra tweeted.

Addressing the media here on Monday, petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan also blamed BJD for the crime. “Naveen babu, you cannot intimidate us and our party workers through violence and gunshots. At least 17 BJP workers were killed during the 2017 panchayat polls,” Pradhan said, adding that, “Our candidate (Khandayatray) escaped by a whisker. Perhaps the killers wanted to eliminate him.”

The BJD rubbished the charges and said it never promoted violence. “We condemn all sorts of violence,” spokesperson Sasmit Patra said. The BJD’s candidate for the Khurda assembly segment, Jyotirindra Nath Mitra, also denied the accusation and said, “Neither our party nor our leaders and workers believes in violence.”

“I request the Election Commission to direct police to take stringent action against those responsible,” Naveen said on Monday.

Seeking the immediate arrest of the killers, BJP workers observed a bandh in Khurda town from 8 am to 2 pm on Monday and staged a demonstration in front of Khurda Town police station.

This is the second political murder in the state this election. On the night of March 25, miscreants hacked a local politician to death in Keonjhar district hours before he was to join BJD. Violence also erupted in Balangir district after some Congress supporters allegedly beat up a BJD worker on Saturday night. On Monday evening, chief minister Naveen Patnaik's convoy was attacked with eggs and stones in Balangir district.