Odisha forest officer’s family blames his wife, boss for his death

Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra, a 2020 batch Odisha Forest Service officer, sustained over 80% burns at his official quarters while he was reportedly burning old newspapers and some papers. He died at a hospital in Cuttack on Tuesday

The family of a forest officer, who died of burn injuries under mysterious circumstances on Sunday, has blamed his wife, their cook, and a divisional forest officer (DFO) for his death in Odisha’s Gajapati district.

Representational Image. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra, a 2020 batch Odisha Forest Service officer, sustained over 80% burns at his official quarters while he was reportedly burning old newspapers and some papers. He died at a hospital in Cuttack on Tuesday.

Mohapatra’s father, Abhiram, has filed a police complaint accusing DFO and Mohapatra’s boss, Sangram Behera, cook Manmath Kumbha, his daughter-in-law Bidya Bharati Panda of conspiracy that led to his son’s death.

Bibekananda Swain, a police officer, said they recorded Mohapatra’s dying declaration and registered a murder case. “Police are looking at all available angles after registering a case under Section 302 (murder) of IPC (Indian penal Code).”

Abhiram said there were two people in the house when the incident happened. “We were not told about the incident for 15 hours. It is hard to believe a person will suffer 90% burn injuries in presence of his wife. His wife, with the help of someone else, set Soumya on fire. My son earlier complained to me that the DFO was having... (a) relationship with my daughter-in-law. My son told me that he was being sent on night patrolling by the DFO so that he could visit my son’s quarter in his absence. My son used to cry while narrating his ordeal over the phone,” Abhiram said in his complaint.

Behera denied the allegations. “I have lost a younger brother and close colleague in a mishap. It is unfortunate and tragic that such allegations are being levelled against me. I have never called Soumya’s wife over the phone.”

Panda also refuted the allegations. “We had a very good relationship. No official has any role in his death.”