Patnagarh Parcel Blast: Crime Branch Begins Marathon Grilling Of 5 Persons

Bolangir: Intensifying its probe into the sensational parcel gift blast at Bholanathpada under Patnagarh police limits in Odisha’s Bolangir district on February 23, the Crime Branch sleuths on Sunday began marathon interrogation of five persons suspecting their involvement in the incident.

Sources said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Crime Branch picked Punjilal Meher, English lecturer of Jyoti Bikash Mahavidyalaya at Bhainsa, from his house at Meherpada on Sunday morning and began his interrogation at the Patnagarh police station. Incidentally, mother of Soumya Sekhar Sahu (the bridegroom, who was killed in the mishap), Sanjukta Sahu is the principal of Jyoti Bikash Mahavidyalaya.

“Six officials of the Crime Branch came to our house in the morning and took my husband with them for interrogation. They also took my mobile phone, another mobile phone, laptop and a diary of my husband,” said Soudamini Meher, wife of Punjilal Meher.

On the way to Balangir, the SIT took him to Jyoti Bikash Mahavidyalaya.

Apart from this, the Crime Branch officials also picked up three persons of Bhainsa village—Umesh Matari, Siba Prasad Sa, Odia lecturer of National College at Nuapada, and Rajkumar Das, a pharmacist and compounder of Bhainsa Primary Health Centre (PHC)— for interrogation.

The Crime Branch sleuths took two mobile phones of Siba Prasad Sa and his wife, a micro chip and a laptop from his house. Besides, another team of Crime Branch detained Chandramani Meher, a contractor of Udyanabandha area at Komna Police Station in Nuapada district for interrogation.

It may be mentioned that Meher was the former principal of Jyoti Bikash Mahavidyalaya while Siba Prasad Sa was the former Odia lecturer of this college.

Sources said the Crime Branch has come to know that the Umesh Matari, Siba Prasad Sa and Rajkumar Das were very close to Punjilal Meher, while preliminary investigation has revealed that was Punjilal was not in good terms with the present principal of Sanjukta Sahu of Jyoti Bikash Mahavidyalaya.

Meanwhile, talking to the media persons, Sanjukta Sahu said prior to her appointment as the principal of Jyoti Bikash Mahavidyalaya, Punjilal was the acting principal. “But after I was appointed as a full-time principal of the college, he became intolerant to me and tried to harass me several times. He even went to the extent to malign me by writing offensive remarks against me on the college boundary walls with the help of his associates. Now that he is picked up by the Crime Branch police, I strongly suspect his involvement in the incident,” she pointed out.

The shocking incident had taken place on February 23 at the house of Rabindra Sahu when his son Soumya Sekhar Sahu, his daughter-in-law Rimarani Sahu and grandmother Jemamani sustained grievous injuries while opening a parcel which suddenly went off. While Soumya Sekhar and his grandmother were killed, Rimarani sustained severe burn injuries.

Exactly a month after the incident, chief minister Naveen Patnaik ordered a Crime Branch probe into the incident.

Though the Crime Branch is yet to make headway, the recent statement by the Director General of Police (DGP) RP Sharma that the police will soon track down the culprits, indicates that the investigating team has got vital lead in the case.