Chhendipada: Mystery shrouds the death of a BJD leader and former sarpanch whose body was found lying near the basil plant on the ground floor of his residence at Jereng Dehuri Sahi village under Jarpada police limits in Angul district in the wee hours of Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Bibhuti Gadnaik, who had reportedly gone to sleep on the roof top after having his dinner at house Monday night. The matter came to the fore after Jarpada police seized the mutilated body of Bibhuti lying near the basil plant during daybreak, Tuesday. Family members cried foul over his death with his son Bikash Ranjan Gadnaik alleging that his father had been murdered over past political enmity. He complained to the Jarpada police station. Jarpada IIC Nirmala Gochhayat and SDPO Ramakant Mahallik reached the spot and conducted a probe.
A scientific team was also pressed into service. However, DIG Uma Shankar Das, who is also the SP in-charge of Angul, rejected the charges at a press conference held Tuesday. He said the preliminary inquiry was not indicative of murder.
Police registered a case of unnatural death and intensified probe into the case. The actual reason behind the death of the BJD leader could be ascertained only after the availability of the post-mortem report, the DIG said. Moreover, the investigation will also focus on the murder charges brought by the family members.
Meanwhile, police have stepped up patrolling in the area and a team of cops has been kept on alert after a woman member of the family sought security citing a threat to their lives, the DIG stated in the press conference. Sources said that miscreants allegedly pelted stones at his camp house at Bhagirathipur village, two days back. After the issue was resolved at Jarpada police station Monday, he returned and had his dinner before going to the rooftop to sleep. However, family members spotted his badly bruised body lying near the basil plant of his residence at about 4 am, Tuesday.