Highest Office Monitoring Jajpur PEO Death Case; Ex-DGP Removed To Derail Probe: BJP

Bhubaneswar: The BJP on Thursday claimed that the highest office of the Odisha government was monitoring the case pertaining to the mysterious death of Jajpur PEO Smitarani Biswal.

“How come the police, who are yet to crack the case even two and half months after her death, have framed a 2000-page charge sheet without taking the prime accused Rupesh Bhadra on remand?” questioned BJP state secretary Lekhasri Samantsinghar while addressing mediapersons here on Thursday.

Alleging cover-up in the case, she said that the then in-charge DGP BK Sharma was removed from the post as he had for an impartial investigation.

The BJP leader also claimed that Rupesh was being being given VIP treatment inside the jail due to his proximity with BJD leader Bobby Das (Pranab Prakash Das).

“The BJP will continue its protest on this matter till the state government orders a CBI probe,” she added.

The BJD, however, refuted the charges.

“It is very difficult to understand what and when the BJP leader is talking about. It seems that the saffron party has gone off the track,” BJD leader Prashanta Nanda said.

Lekhasri continued her tirade against the government despite repeated requests to refrain from giving such unpalatable statement, BJD Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra said, alleging that it was sheer jealousy and an attempt to settle old scores.