Trouble Mounts For Odisha Hockey Star Birendra Lakra As HC Orders Crime Branch Probe In Friend Anand Toppo’s Death Case

Cuttack: Trouble seems to have mounted for international hockey player Birendra Lakra with the Orissa High Court ordering probe by the Crime Branch into the death of his friend Anand Toppo, who was found dead in the former’s flat in Bhubaneswar on February 28, 2022.

Hearing a petition filed by Anand’s father, the High Court issued directive for investigation into the case to be led by a DIG rank officer as the accused is an officer of DSP rank. “From the apparent gaps and incongruities, this court is left with little doubt that investigation in the present case cannot be said to have been conducted properly and that several areas still remain to be investigated”, Justice Sashikanta Mishra observed.

The HC also directed that the investigator would submit the probe report in the lower court.

The deceased’s father had moved the High Court alleging lack of impartial investigation by police in the death case. Anand’s kin had alleged that Birendra Lakra and his friend Manjeet Tete were involved in killing him.

It may be noted that Birendra and Manjeet were childhood friends of Anand.

However, the Twin City Commissionerate Police had given a clean chit to Birendra in the death case.

Available evidence and medical reports have made it clear that the cause of death was suicidal hanging and there is no suspicion of any foul play, police had said.

The injuries found on the neck of the deceased could be ante-mortem and suicidal in nature. The deceased had consumed liquor and barbiturate before his death. The doubt of forcible administration of alcohol and drugs is not possible in this case, it had added.