Bhubaneswar: Amid the ongoing probe into schoolteacher Mamita Meher’s alleged murder, BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra dropped a bombshell on Sunday saying that an effort was to reach a compromise at Raipur residence of Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra.
“This has been going on for the past two months and efforts were made to settle issues between Mamita and the accused, Gobinda Sahu, at the minister’s residence in Raipur,” he said.
Mohapatra further said that though Sahu claimed that he had destroyed Mamita’s phone, the call records can easily be retrieved and verified to ascertain the minister’s involvement in the case.
“As far as I know, police have examined some call records of Dibya Shankar Mishra and informed the Chief Minister about the findings in a ‘sealed cover’,” he added.
The minister has been facing the opposition onslaught over alleged close links with the main accused, Sahu, in the lady teacher murder case.
The BJP and Congress have threatened to intensify the agitation demanding his removal. “Law Minister Pratap Jena was involved in Mahanga double murder while Prasant Jagdev had assaulted Dalit. Now, the name of Dibya Shankar Mishra has cropped up in Mamita murder case, but the Chief Minister has remained mum all this while,” said Congress leader Debasish Patnaik.
Also Read: Odisha Lady Teacher Murder Case: Bag Mystery Deepens After Parents Deny It To Be Mamita’s
The tainted BJD leaders were kept away from campaigning during the Pipili bypolls, he added.
Incidentally, Dibya Shankar Mishra was dropped from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Mayurbhanj visit on Friday.
The opposition has also questioned the sanction of funds from Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) to Anchalika (Junior) Mahavidyalaya, Mahaling in Kalahandi district on different occasions.
“Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik must clear whether action will be taken against the minister. Why grants were sanctioned to the college from the WODC,” said Odisha BJP president Samir Mohanty.
Also Read: ‘Botched-Up’ Probe In Mamita Murder Case
Sahu was president of the managing committee of Sunshine English Medium School and Anchalika (Junior) Mahavidyalaya, Mahaling, which are on the same premises.
The parties have also questioned the frequent visits by ministers to the college.
The minister’s involvement in the 23-year-old schoolteacher’s brutal murder is deeply disturbing. Sexual exploitation of young girls by the Naveen Patnaik government is unacceptable and need to be investigated by CBI,” Odisha BJP spokesperson and general secretary Lekhasri Samantsinghar said.
FUNDS SANCTIONED
2010-11: Rs 2 lakh and Rs 2.4 lakh were granted from WODC for the construction of a library hall and classrooms of the junior college and another Rs 4 lakh was sanctioned for a library reading room the same year.
2011-12: Additional Rs 2.83 lakh sanctioned for classrooms
2014-15: Rs 5 lakh for construction of the girls’ common room at the college
2017: Money sanctioned from the MPLAD fund for the construction of dais
2017-18: Rs 5 lakh sanctioned from the MPLAD fund and for the construction of a dining hall of the boys’ hostel
The WODC Chairperson had reportedly laid the foundation stone for additional classrooms and auditorium of the junior college.
