Bhubaneswar: Three police officials have been issued notice over negligence in the probe into the alleged murder of Aparna Priyadarshini, the first wife of constable Deepak Rout.
It has been alleged that Rout had killed Aparna, a Revenue Inspector, in March 2022 to claim the insurance money, but he had then claimed that she diedin a road accident in Khuntuni area of Cuttack district.
The case was reopened after Rout allegedly killed his second wife Subhamitra Sahu, a traffic constable, in September last year. As per police, he killed Subhamitra to claim Rs one crore as insurance money.
Sources said Superintendent of Police, Cuttack (Rural) Vinit Agrawal issued notice on then SDPO Satyabrata Lenka, Khuntuni police station IIC Bhabani Shankar Khuntia and investigating officer Bikash Sethi over alleged dereliction of duty in handling the case.
Lenka is now working as the SDPO at Borigumma in Koraput while Khuntia has been posted with the Special Task Force (STF) of the Crime Branch. Sethi is now serving as the IIC (in-charge) of Tangi police in Cuttack.
These three officials have been asked to submit their replies within 15 days. They have been accused of gross callousness in investigating Aparna’s death. The police had then closed the case by terming the incident as an accident.
It may be noted that the Cuttack Rural Police recently filed a chargesheet against Rout in connection with the death of his first wife.
The cops submitted the 300-page chargesheet in the Athagarh SDJM court. Rout has been charged under multiple Sections of the IPC, including Section 302, 498 A and Section 201.
