Paralakhemundi: With Paralakhemundi assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra’s death case getting murkier with every passing day, a cousin of the deceased Wednesday moved the Chief Minister’s grievance cell seeking a fair probe.
The cousin, identified as Manas Ranjan Padhi, brought serious allegations against state forest minister Bikram Keshari Arukha saying that investigating police team is yet to crack the death mystery and the minister has been putting undue pressure in the case.
“Reports are doing the rounds that the forest minister is putting undue pressure in the case as Gajapati DFO Sangram Keshari Behera and Gurandi police station OIC Mamata Panda are blue-eyed persons of the minister. After my brother sustained burn injuries, his wife should have informed us first. Instead, she called up the Gurandi officer-in-charge. A plan was made to cover up the case,” Manas alleged.
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The complainant added that his family members are not happy with the progress made by police in this regard so far.
Manas raised doubts over the probe and demanded an investigation to be conducted either by Orissa High Court-monitored special investigation team (SIT) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Meanwhile, reactions of the forest minister to the allegations brought by the deceased ACF’s cousin could not be obtained.
PNN