Latest News | Odisha Court Directs Police to Probe Role of Minister in Double Murder Case

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack, Aug 26 (PTI) An Odisha court on Thursday directed the police to further probe the role of state Law Minister Pratap Jena in the sensational double murder case of two BJP leaders in Cuttack district this year.

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The Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Salipur, asked the Mahanga Police to further investigate the matter regarding the alleged involvement of Jena following a protest petition made by Ramakanta Baral, son of Kulamani Baral, one of the two deceased BJP leaders.

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The court in its order said that the police investigation was silent on the alleged involvement of Jena in the double murder case though his name had figured in the FIR among the 14 accused.

While the Mahanga Police filed a charge sheet against 12 accused, there was no mention of Jena in the document.

Initially, the complaints were made against 14 people of whom one person has already died.

The victim's son had alleged that the Mahanga Police had dropped the law minister's name in the charge sheet filed by it.

On January 2 evening, BJP leader Kulamani Baral and his associate Dibya Singh Baral were critically injured after being attacked by some miscreants with sharp weapons near Jankoti in Cuttack district when the duo was returning home on a motorcycle.

The two were rushed to the Mahanga Community Health Centre (CHC), where doctors declared Kulamani Baral “brought dead” while Dibya Singh Baral was shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital.

Dibya Singh Baral succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at the SCB hospital.

A total of 10 people were arrested in connection with the double murder case.

Meanwhile, the state unit of BJP Thursday demanded the dismissal of Jena from the council of ministers in wake of the court's observation asking the police to further investigate the role of the minister.

“The court observation has exposed the ruling party. Dropping of the minister's name from the charge sheet itself proves that the law had not taken its course. The chief minister, who holds the home portfolio should dismiss Jena from the ministry,” BJP state spokesperson and senior advocate Pitamber Acharya said in a statement.

While Jena was not available for comment, the ruling BJD in a statement accused Acharya of making "wild allegations".

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)