BJP, Cong accuse Odisha Police of acting as BJD agent

PTI, Nov 15, 2021, 8:24 AM IST

Bhubaneswar: Continuing to mount pressure for dismissal of BJD Minister DS Mishra for alleged links with an accused in the Kalahandi woman teacher murder case, the opposition BJP and Congress on Sunday trained their guns on Odisha Police accusing it of trying to clear the Minister of State for Home of charges.

While the Odisha Police was silent over allegations made by the opposition parties, the ruling BJD in a statement rejected the claims stating that Police was investigating the kidnap and murder case professionally involving scientific and forensic experts.

The ruling party, however, criticized BJP general secretary Lekhashree Samantasinghar, who took a dig at DIG, Northen Range, Deepak Kumar, who claimed that the investigation was on track and there were no irregularities.

The BJP leader exposes her lack of knowledge about Police investigation. Maybe she wanted to become a Police Officer and failed. She is now trying to fulfill her childhood dream by acting like a Police officer in Press meets and making wild, baseless statements, BJD spokesman Lenin Mohanty said in a statement.

Earlier at a press conference, Samantasinghar accused the DIG of “acting” like the ruling BJD’s spokesperson and “shielding” the Minister of State for Home DS Mishra in the teacher murder case. DIG Deepak Kumar is trying to give a clean chit to the minister even when the investigation is still on. He (DIG) also refuted the meeting which took place between the victim and the accused in presence of the minister at Raipur,” she pointed out.

The BJP leader also alleged that the DIG is putting pressure on his subordinate by conducting such a press meet, Samantasinghar said adding that the whole crime scene is being reconstructed to clear the minister of complicity in the case. She claimed that call records have not been collected and no police team has so far visited Raipur to investigate the allegation.

The BJP leader asked the police to explain how the school teacher was abducted, murdered and the remains of the burnt body buried in the school campus. Samantasinghar said that the victim’s father had clearly stated that a sex racket was operated and girls were sexually exploited in Kalahandi by the prime accused. She was killed after the teacher threatened to expose the incident, the BJP leader claimed.

The prime accused was president of the managing committee of the school and a college. He (victim’s father) has also disclosed that the victims of the sex racket were rewarded with first-class or best 10′ ranks in academics, Samantasinghar said.

The Congress too lambasted the senior cop for allegedly attempting to give a clean chit to the minister during a press conference on Saturday.

OPCC spokesman M K Mohapatra demanded immediate arrest and removal of the minister. The Congress also sought a reply from BJD on a photograph of the prime accused with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The woman teacher’s kidnap and murder incident has sparked a statewide furore and triggered a political storm with the BJP and Congress demanding the minister’s dismissal and a CBI probe into the case. Both the parties have staged demonstrations, `bandhs’ and `hartals’ across the state.

The woman teacher was kidnapped and killed on October 8 while her body was exhumed from the school playground on October 19. Two persons including the prime accused have been arrested so far while demands have been made to sack and arrest DS Mishra on charge of patronizing criminals.