Odisha minister’s killing: BJP demands CBI probe; Cong seeks resignation of CM

Opposition BJP on Monday demanded a CBI probe into the killing of Odisha minister Naba Kishore Das by a police officer to unearth the “conspiracy” behind it, while Congress sought Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s resignation claiming collapse of law and order in the state.

The 60-year-old health and family welfare minister was fired upon at Brajrajnagar town around 1 pm on Sunday by Assistant Sub-inspector of Police (ASI) Gopal Das, who is believed to be suffering from a mental disorder. The injured BJD leader was airlifted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, where he died.

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“I suspect that the minister’s killing is part of a conspiracy as the accused ASI Gopal Das was issued a service revolver only a day before the minister’s killing,” Leader of Opposition Jayanarayan Mishra of the BJP told reporters here.

He said that as an employee of the force is an accused, the state police could not probe into this incident.

Mishra also sought to know why a service pistol was issued to the accused policeman even though he was mentally unsound.

Claiming that the Crime Branch probe cannot reveal the truth, he said a CBI investigation could properly probe into the incident.

“If the chief minister wants to reveal the truth behind the minister’s murder, he must order a CBI probe,” Mishra said.

He suspected the involvement of influential persons and senior officers in the incident.

Another opposition party, the Congress, demanded Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s resignation holding him responsible for the “worsening” law and order situation of the state.

“Is there any law and order situation in the state? A minister is killed by a policeman in broad daylight. An accused in the murder case in Kalahandi woman teacher’s case died in jail under mysterious circumstances,” Congress lawmaker Santosh Singh Saluja said.

Saluja asked what the situation of common people is if ministers are not safe on road.

Another Congress MLA Suresh Routray also demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident for an impartial inquiry into Das’s murder.

Meanwhile, Brajarajnagar Police Station inspector-in-charge Pradumnya Kumar Swain made a formal complaint against ASI Gopal Das in connection with the killing of the minister.

The FIR claimed that Das shot the minister with his service pistol from a very close range with the intention to kill him.