Nischintakoili: A local court has directed Mahanga police to launch a fresh probe into the charge of involvement of Panchayati Raj and Law Minister Pratap Jena in the Mahanga double murder case.
The judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) at Salipur directed a fresh probe into the matter. The court was hearing a petition by the complainant.
Hearing the case filed by Ramakant Baral, son of deceased BJP leader Kulamani Baral, the magistrate directed Mahanga police to start a fresh probe into the double murder case.
The court also directed the police to investigate the alleged involvement of the law minister in the case.
amakant had alleged that despite complaint, police had struck off the name of the minister and Mahanga MLA as accused no-13 while submitting the chargesheet in the court.
BJP leaders Kulamani Baral and his associate Dibyasingh Baral of Nrutanga panchayat under Mahanga police limits were brutally hacked to death at Jankoti January 2, this year.
The two were returning home on a motorcycle when the murder took place.
The two were rushed to Mahanga Community Health Centre (CHC) where doctors declared Kulamani brought dead while Dibyasingh was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack where he succumbed to injuries.
Ramakant had filed an FIR against 13 persons including Jena at the Mahanga police station after the murder.
Police registered a case and arrested nine persons while the prime accused, Prafulla Biswal, who was absconding, was found dead on a road near Tangi.
Another accused Bijay Kumar Baral is still absconding. The double murder of the two senior leaders triggered uproar in the state as BJP and Congress targeting Jena staged agitations at various places in the state demanding arrest of the accused.
Things came to such a pass that police were forced to arrest Bhikari Swain, a senior BJD leader of Mahanga.
PNN