Odisha News: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Feb 14: The Orissa High Court has directed the state government to submit a status report on the investigation into the assassination of former BJD leader and health minister Naba Kisore Das, who was shot dead by an on-duty policeman in January 2023.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Arindam Sinha and Justice MS Sahoo, while hearing a PIL seeking a CBI probe, stated, “We require the state to inform us the status of investigation/criminal case in respect of Health minister Naba Das having been shot.” The court has asked for the report to be submitted in writing and has scheduled the next hearing for February 19.
Naba Kisore Das was shot at close range by Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Gopal Das in Brajrajnagar, Jharsuguda district, on January 29, 2023. He succumbed to his injuries hours later at a hospital in Bhubaneswar. The state CID-Crime Branch investigated the case under the supervision of retired Justice J P Das and filed a chargesheet.
The PIL, filed by social activist Pinakpani Mohanty, alleged that the Crime Branch’s inquiry report was flawed, as it ignored crucial evidence. The petition questioned the motive behind the murder and criticized the agency’s failure to provide clarity on the circumstances of the crime.
