Odisha: HC Seeks Status Report Of Investigation Into Naba Das’ Assassination

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has sought a status report on the investigation into the assassination of BJD leader and health minister Naba Kisore Das, who was shot dead by an on-duty policeman in January 2023.

Hearing a PIL seeking direction to the CBI to investigate the case, the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Arindam Sinha and Justice MS Sahoo said, “We require the state to inform us the status of investigation/criminal case in respect of Health minister Naba Das having been shot. The information to be furnished be on written instruction issued.”

The court has posted the case for February 19 for further consideration.

The BJD leader was shot at by assistant sub-inspector Gopal Das at Brajrajnagar in Jharsuguda district on Jan 29, 2023, and died hours later at a hospital in Bhubaneswar. Das was arrested the following day and facing trial after state CID-Crime Branch probed the murder under the supervision of Justice J P Das (retired) and submitted a chargesheet.

Pinakpani Mohanty, a social activist, filed the PIL alleging that the inquiry report submitted by the Crime Branch “is doubtful as it left out most evidence and did not seize valuable material objects”. He further contended that the investigating agency has also failed to give the answer as to why and under what circumstances the accused killed Das.

Notably, the HC had earlier on February 8, 2023 refused to entertain a PIL seeking a CBI probe into the murder.  “Petition is based purely on newspaper publications and the investigation is underway. At this stage, the court would not like to entertain the petition,” the bench of the then Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice MS Raman had said while acting on the PIL filed by Berhampur-based Bharatiya Bikash Parishad.