Bhubaneswar: A day after questioning international hockey player Birendra Lakra’s female friend Manjeet Tete in connection with the death of his childhood friend Anand Toppo, the Commissionerate Police on Thursday recorded the statement of Anand’s family members.
Following the Orissa High Court’s intervention on the allegation of Anand’s father Bandhan Toppo that the police were shielding Lakra, the Commissionerate Police called his family members for recording their statements.
On getting the notice of the police, Anand’s father, mother, brother and sister turned up at the Bhubaneswar DCP office on Thursday and submitted their versions of the incident. Additional DCP questioned the family members and recorded their statements, sources said.
On Wednesday, Olympic medallist Lakra’s female friend Manjeet Tete appeared at Infocity police station in Odisha capital for questioning in connection with the case. She was reportedly the girlfriend of Anand, who was found dead in his flat at Bhubaneswar in February. Earlier, Lakra was also questioned by the police.
The case was embroiled in a controversy after Bandhan accused the police of shielding Lakra since he is serving as a DSP. He had moved the high court seeking a direction for registration of the complaint and a Crime Branch probe into his son’s death.
Following this, an FIR was registered against Lakra at Infocity police station on November 24.
