Odisha Police submits chargesheet in Naba Kishore Das's murder, finds ASI responsible

Former Odisha health minister Naba Kishore Das was gunned down by Assistant Sub-inspector of Police Gopal Das due to a personal grudge and anguish in stable mind, according to the police chargesheet in the case submitted on Friday.

Gopal Das is the lone accused in the January 29 incident and the murder was a result of past enmity. Charges have been framed under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 302 (murder) and the Arms Act, it said.

The chargesheet was submitted before the court barely three days before the completion of 120 days of Das's murder.

If found guilty, the ASI may face prison term ranging from 10 years to life behind bars and is liable to be fined.

The opposition BJP and Congress alleged that the chargesheet filed by the Crime Branch of the state police hides more and reveals less.

"The chargesheet is full of lies. It does not clarify what fears led him to take such a step. Also, it does not mention when Gopal Das had planned the murder?" BJP state general secretary Prithiviraj Harichandan said.

Expressing his displeasure over the probe, Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra alleged that the conspiracy angle was not investigated.

The 543-page chargesheet in the case was filed by the Crime Branch at the Jharsuguda Judicial Magistrate First Class Court on Friday. The charge against Gopal Das is based on statements by eyewitnesses and reports from a scientific team.

The case was handed over to the Crime Branch to investigate the motive behind the murder.

The court turned down its request to take the accused to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bengaluru for evaluation.

It referred to the report by the medical board comprising experts from the state-run SCB Medical College and Hospital which suggested that Gopal Das was mentally sound.

The ASI had allegedly opened fire at the minister at Brajrajnagar Gandhi Chowk when he was on an official visit to Jharsuguda district.

The chargesheet said the accused meticulously planned and executed the murder alone. There was no conspiracy or support from anyone else.

The narco test and layered voice analysis confirmed that the police officer had pulled the trigger due to a personal grudge, it said.

"After evaluation of all evidence -- oral, documentary, medico-legal, cyber forensic and ballistic opinion, it is clear that the accused Gopal Das had developed a personal grudge and anguish against deceased minister Naba Kishore Das. He felt threatened by the minister and his supporters and feared for his life. Gradually, he made up his mind to commit murder," the chargesheet said.

The police officer's mental condition was "quite normal" and there was no abnormality at the time. He was cooperative during the investigation and replied to all questions asked in a cogent manner, it said.

His wife Jayanti, however, told journalists that he was under treatment for "psychological issues" for the last seven to eight years.

The ASI was deployed for traffic clearance duty for the minister’s programme in Jharsuguda district and fired at him from a very close range using his service pistol. The police arrested him immediately after he opened fire at the minister and was dismissed from service.

The minister was airlifted to Bhubaneswar and later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.

During his service period, Gopal Das received 18 citations and nine rewards for exemplary performance as a policeman. The accused was posted in Jharasuguda district in 2013 and his family lived on the outskirts of Berhampur.