Bhubaneswar: The husband of the deceased Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO), Smitarani Biswal, Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) alleging murder of his wife. Expressing dissatisfaction over the probe by the local police, Smitarani’s husband Susil urged the commission to order reinvestigation of the death of his wife.
He alleged that his wife had repeatedly informed him he she was being blackmailed by Rupesh Bhadra and his sarapanch wife Madhusmita Bhadra of Haridaspur village. He accused the couple of putting pressure on her to engage in corrupt activities while implementing schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and old-age pension. He asserted that Smitarani had been under severe mental stress due to constant pressure on her by the sarpanch and her husband.
He demanded a detailed review of the execution of various social security schemes in the area. That, he averred, will definitely unravel massive irregularities by the couple. Smitarani was an upright person and averse to any type of corruption. The accused might have killed her and later made it look like a case of suicide.
He also brought up serious charges against Jajpur police as to how they deliberately suppressed the case to shield the accused. He also criticised the police for diverting the investigation under the garb of her personal life. He also pointed to a tiff between his wife and the accused and his sarpanch wife a few days before her death.
“Police only probed her personal life and arrived at the conclusion but she herself confided to me the trouble she had been facing in her professional life,” said Smitarani’s husband.
The police did not let him enter the room where she had allegedly committed suicide despite repeated requests by him. He also accused Jajpur police of delaying the post mortem of Smitarani. Earlier, Madhusmita had claimed before media that her husband was innocent and he had been falsely implicated in the case.
Smitarani, the lady PEO of Haridaspur panchayat under Dharmasala block, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at the first floor of the guest house owned by Rupesh Bhadra, husband of Haridaspur sarpanch Madhusmita Bhadra October 16. Following this the opposition started baying for the blood of the government. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday observed Jajpur bandh demanding that the investigation be handed over to CBI.