Naba Das Murder: BJP MP Suresh Pujari Points Towards Missing Links In Odisha CB Probe

Bhubaneswar: A day after dismissed cop Gopal Das, the prime accused in health minister Naba Kishore Das’ murder case was produced in a court, the Opposition BJP and Congress on Friday phoo-phooed the 543-page chargesheet filed the Crime Branch (CB) of Odisha.

Calling the charegesheet a ‘waste paper’, BJP MP from Bargarh Suresh Pujari alleged that the probe agency had been working towards ‘hiding the truth’ than unraveling it. “The CB chargesheet reveals that Gopal killed Naba as he felt threatened by him and his supporters. The instances mentioned are far-fetched and it hard to believe that those could have acted as a trigger for him. In my 40 years of experience as a lawyer, I have never come across a case in which a person takes to killing under the perceived fear of being harmed,” he said.

Pujari further said that the CB is yet to trace the bullet that pierced through Naba’s chest and there is no mention of the angle at which Das fired on Naba. “While the CM had told the Assembly that they had sought the help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, no such report has been attached to the chargesheet. During the Lie Detection Test and Narco Analysis Test, which were conducted on Gopal in Gujarat, no one ever asked him if he was provoked or encouraged by someone to commit the heinous crime,” he claimed.

Why was Gopal given 18 rounds of bullet instead of the normal 12 and no hand wash was conducted on others present around him? he asked, while hinting that more than one person could have fired on the minister.

The MP further pointed out that the CB has not even investigated the call records of Gopal. “Had the CB scanned the 15 days’ call records prior to the killing the minister, whom he had met and who were in contact with him, everything would have become crystal clear. The main accused behind the ‘bigger conspiracy’ could have been arrested easily,” he said.

Pujari also questioned if the date on which the accused reportedly visited Samaleswari Temple in Sambalpur with his brother and observed mundan while taking oath to kill Naba Das in near future, has been investigated? “Have they recorded his brother’s statement on it? They are coming up different versions to the murder on different dates. A constable of Odisha Police would have conduct a better investigation. These missing links will help the accused to escape the long arm of the law,” he said.

Pujari stressed that there is a need to investigate the conspiracy angle in the case and arrest the masterminds.

Congress campaign committee chairman Bijay Patnaik told a presser that it is difficult to believe that a lone policeman can kill an influential leader in broad daylight. “I have not seen the chargesheet, but if only Gopal Das has been held responsible for the murder then I would dub it as half-baked. We suspect a conspiracy behind his murder, which police have made no efforts to unravel,” he added.