Bhubaneswar: The Odisha police suspended Wednesday slain minister Naba Kishore Das’ personal security officer on the charge of dereliction of duty. Brajarajnagar police station inspector-in-charge Pradyumna Kumar Swain and Gandhi Chhak police outpost in-charge Sashibhusan Podha were also transferred from their place of posting, an official said.
“Slain minister Naba Kishore Das’ personal security officer Mitrabhanu Deo has been placed under suspension on the charge of dereliction of duty. Deo was on duty when the accused policeman opened fire at Naba Das. The security officer did not react immediately and also failed to follow standard operating procedure during the VVIP visit,” informed an official Wednesday.
Deo was earlier interrogated by the state police’s Crime Branch team Tuesday.
The move comes after the state government had Tuesday transferred Jharsuguda superintendent of police and Brajrajnagar sub-divisional police officer following the killing of Naba Das.
Das, 60, breathed his last January 29 evening, hours after he was shot by a policeman at Gandhi Chhak in Brajrajnagar area of Jharsuguda district, where he had gone to attend an event.
The Odisha Police had Monday dismissed Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Gopal Das from service after arresting him for allegedly gunning down Das.
Swain, who registered an FIR and was also the complainant of the minister murder case, was transferred to Sambalpur district police headquarters, while Podha was shifted to nearby Sonepur district police headquarters, the official informed.
The suspension and transfer of police personnel came in the wake of the opposition parties’ attacks on the Naveen Patnaik government over the killing of former Health Minister Naba Das.