Odisha: Opposition brings conspiracy charges, MoS Home says probe on the right track

BHUBANESWAR: Continuing with his allegations about a top-level conspiracy for the murder of Health minister Naba Kishore Das, leader of Opposition (LoP) Jayanarayan Mishra on Thursday dragged Naveen Nivas into the issue.

Initiating the debate in the Assembly on a motion on the killing of a cabinet minister, the senior BJP leader alleged that there was a meeting between 5T secretary, BJD organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das and a former minister in Naveen Nivas four days before Das was gunned down. “I suspect, the conspiracy to eliminate the minister was hatched in that meeting,” he claimed.

Several ruling BJD members including some ministers were on their feet as soon as Mishra levelled the allegations and demanded that ‘such unfounded’ charges should be expunged from the proceedings of the House. However, the leader of the Opposition stood his ground. He demanded that call records of the above-mentioned persons be examined to get to the root of the conspiracy.

Leader of the Congress legislature party Narasingha Mishra also pointed fingers at a former minister in the conspiracy to eliminate Das. Alleging that the Crime Branch probe has not taken into consideration all aspects of the case, he demanded that the state government should agree to a high court-monitored SIT probe into the incident.

His party colleague Santosh Singh Saluja said that there was a conflict between supporters of the Health minister and former minister Sushant Singh on fly-ash lifting. Stating that he was very close to the minister even though he was in the BJD, Saluja said that Naba had confided in him these things. Minister of State for Home Tushar Kanti Behera, however, rejected the Opposition allegations and said that the Crime Branch probe is moving in the right direction.

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He said that a detailed probe is being conducted by adopting scientific methods. Eyewitnesses, other witnesses, family members of the deceased minister, relatives, friends, neighbours and colleagues have been interrogated during the investigation. All evidence has been sent for forensic investigation and will be scrutinised again in the field by the probe team after getting the report.    

Countering Opposition allegations, the minister asserted that the Crime Branch has never described the accused ASI Gopal Das as a mental case. He said that the state government has sought the help of the FBI of the USA to probe into behavioural aspects of the accused taking into account all situational aspects, he added.

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Stating that the Crime Branch probe is moving in a very professional and transparent manner, the minister said the aim is to get to the root of the crime and get a conviction for the accused. Not satisfied with the reply, the Opposition BJP and Congress members staged a walkout from the House alleging that he did not touch on the matters raised by them.