Police Claim Lead In Khurda BJP Leader’s Murder Case

Khurda: Two days after the murder of BJP’s Khurda zone no-9 unit president Manguli Jena by an unidentified assailant, the police claim they have elicited vital information from the two people they detained for interrogation.

Talking to mediapersons at the district police headquarters here, IG, Central Range, Soumendra Priyadarshi said that on the directive of DGP in-charge Bijay Kumar Sharma, the Crime Branch took up investigations from Tuesday.

“Acting on the DGP in-charge’s directive, I am personally supervising the investigation on the basis of circumstantial evidence and the tip-off received by local police,” Priyadarshi said. “Earlier, the inspector-in charge of Khurda Town police station was investigating the case. However, on the DGP’s directive, the investigation has now been taken up by Crime Branch DSP Pramod Rath.”

The IG further said that a cyber team of the Crime Branch is providing technical assistance. Besides, another team of the Crime Branch has camped in Khurda from Tuesday. “This apart, Crime Branch IG Arun Bothra, who arrived in Khurda on Tuesday, is now supervising the investigation,” he said.

Asked whether the murder was fallout of political rivalry, Priyadarshi said the police have come to know that there has been a long-drawn rivalry between two groups of Badapokharia village in Khurda district since 2015. “Since Manguli Jena was the former sarpanch of Badapokharia, investigations are underway to ascertain whether the deceased had past enmity with his rival group,” he said.

The Central Range IG further said that as per the case records with the Town Police Station, the deceased has more than 12 cases pending in different police stations in Khurda district.

“We have examined CCTV footage to identify the accused. Besides, the call details records (CDR) of some suspects have been examined and all call transmissions in the area where the incident took place been tracked.

Priyadarshi also said that two suspects who were apprehended a day after the murder of the BJP leader, will be arrested very soon as the police have got vital clues. We will nab the prime accused very soon,” he said.