IAS officer's suicide note declares he was innocent

The 54-year-old Orissa cadre IAS officer, Jagadananda Panda, the Protector-General of Emigrants whose office and residence were raided by the CBI last week in connection with an emigration case, said in the note that he was innocent, the police said today.

The note was recovered when a team of ballistic and forensic experts inspected Panda's house at Deogaon village, about six km from here, and took custody of the revolver which was found next to his body, Bargarh Superintendent of Police Ashok Biswal said.

The statements of family members and relatives were recorded, he said.
Panda was believed to have shot dead his father Munshi (75), wife Surekha (50) and sisters Bijaylaxmi (57) and Kishori (44) before shooting himself in the early hours yesterday. There was no witness to the shooting.

Panda had also allegedly opened fire at his son Swapneswar (22). He was injured critically and underwent surgery at VSS Medical College and Hospital at Burla. He was flown last night to Bhubaneswar by a helicopter arranged by the Orissa Government and admitted to a private hospital.

His son was in the care of a team of expert doctors, police said.

The last rites of the deceased were performed here last night after post-mortem. The post-mortem reports were awaited, they said.

Prominent neuro-surgeon of Nimhans, Bangalore Bhabani Shankar Das carried out an eight-hour brain surgery with a three-member team of doctors on Swapneswar, who was in coma and on a ventilator, they said.

"He is on ventilator. Nothing can be said before 72 hours," a hospital spokesman said.
The bullet which hit his head passed though his skull damaging a major portion of brain cells, said a doctor.