Relief For Odisha Hockey Star Birendra Lakra In Friend Anand Toppo’s Death Case

Bhubaneswar: In a relief for former international hockey player Birendra Lakra, the Twin City Commissionerate Police here on Friday claimed that the investigation into the death of his childhood friend Anand Toppo had proved beyond doubt that it was a case of suicide.

Giving a clean chit to the hockey player, who was an accused in the case, police said that available evidence and medical reports pointed at suicidal hanging as the cause of his death and there was no suspicion of any foul play. “The injuries found on the neck of the deceased could be antemortem in nature and suicidal in nature. However, the victim had consumed alcohol and barbiturates before his death and the cause of the death was hanging and its complication. Hence the doubt of forcible administration of alcohol and drugs is not possible in this case,” a release said.

On February 28 last year, Birendra informed Anand’s father Bandhan Toppo over the telephone that Anand was found unconscious at his Bhubaneswar flat and he (Birendra) was taking him to the hospital. The next day, when Bandhan reached Bhubaneswar from Rourkela, he was told that Anand had committed suicide. Since there was no suicide note and injury marks were seen on Anand’s body. Bandhan suspected foul play and claimed that Bindra had something to do with his son’s death. He also blamed another woman, Manjeet Tete, for the death of his son.

He moved Orissa High Court in October last year when his repeated pleas to the police to register an FIR went in vain. Accusing Bhubaneswar police of shielding Birendra, who is serving as a DSP, he pleaded for investigation of the case by Crime Branch or any other independent investigating agency

An FIR was registered against the former hockey star at Infocity police station only on November 24 after Bandhan approached the court. Viewing such inaction by the police as an attempt to protect the accused, the HC also directed the Bhubaneswar DCP to personally monitor the investigation while keeping all the influences at bay and submit the final report within three months.