Naba Das murder case: Odisha law minister advises ex-BJD MLA to make written petition

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday advised former MLA and BJD leader Dipali Das to write to the Chief Minister requesting a CBI probe into the murder of her father, former minister Naba Kishore Das, on January 29, 2023.

This was said by law minister Pritiviraj Harichandan a day after Dipali, through the media, urged the Mohan Charan Majhi government to clarify the state government's position on a CBI probe into her father’s murder by a policeman in Jharsuguda.

"Expressing concerns in the media is not a formal complaint. Instead, she should submit a written petition to ensure a proper course of action. If she (Dipali) and her family have any objection to the investigation conducted by the previous government, they should come forward and write to the government. The CM will then consider the matter," Harichandan said.

Stating that the Chief Minister is the final authority to decide on further course of action by the government, the law minister added that when the BJP was in opposition, it had raised questions about the probe being carried out by the crime branch of Odisha Police.

"However, the then BJD government went ahead with the crime branch probe, notwithstanding BJP’s demand," he added.

As BJP MLAs raised the issue of her father’s murder in the last Assembly session and demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter, she now wanted to know from the CM the state government’s position.

Senior BJP MLA and former leader of the opposition, Jaynarayan Mishra, said he has been demanding a CBI probe since the day of Das’s murder.

"However, Das’s family members then remained silent and did not say a word on the crime branch investigation. The BJP government will certainly help the family if they make a formal complaint," Mishra said.

Asked whether Majhi would call the Das family for a discussion, as suggested by Dipali on Wednesday, Mishra said, "There is no point in the CM calling the family. If they have any grievance, the family members may directly go to the CM. If they want, I will facilitate their meeting with the CM."

Senior Congress leader and former legislator Santosh Singh Saluja also said he and his party had earlier demanded either a CBI investigation or a judicial probe into Das’s murder. However, neither the then government nor Das’s family supported the Congress’s demand, he claimed.

"In the last Assembly session, two BJP legislators raised the issue and a section of the media and social media are questioning why I am not demanding a CBI probe. As a daughter, I am hurt by such allegations. My question to the Mohan Majhi government is, will it conduct a CBI probe? Fingers are being pointed at our family—will the government stand with us?", Dipali said on Wednesday.

"I appeal to the CM to meet our family, discuss the matter and then take further action," Dipali told a group of television reporters.

Asked whether the family demands a CBI probe into the murder case, Dipali said, "Does the government need a letter from us for this?".