Cuttack: An NGO Tuesday moved Orissa High Court seeking a CBI or SIT probe into the death case of Paralakhemundi assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Saumya Ranjan Mohapatra.
Bharat Vikas Parishad’s president Surendra Panigrahi has filed the PIL, making Home Secretary of Union government, Odisha Chief Secretary, Home Secretary of Odisha government, Odisha DGP, Gajapati SP and Paralakhemundi police station IIC as parties.
Notably, Saumya suffered serious burn injuries at his official residence in Paralakhemundi while his wife was also present July 12. A severely burnt Soumya was rescued and rushed to the district headquarters hospital in Paralakhemundi. He had suffered 90 per cent burn injuries. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur and from there to a private hospital in Cuttack. He succumbed while undergoing treatment there July 13.
On basis of the deceased ACF’s family members’ allegation, police have registered a murder case against three accused persons namely Saumya’s wife Bidyabharati Panda, Paralakhemundi divisional forest officer (DFO) Sangram Keshari Behera and a cook who was present at the house on the intervening day.
Meanwhile, Gajapati SP Tapan Kumar Pattnaik has given the DFO a clean chit, saying he has no link with the death of the ACF.
PNN