E-Paper
Odisha minister in crosshairs of opposition in female teacher murder case, says he’s being maligned
Dibya Shankar Mishra on Friday evening broke his silence accusing some TV channels of launching a character assassination campaign against him
As opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress continued to gun for his head, alleging his proximity with Gobinda Sahu accused of murdering woman school teacher Mamita Meher early this month, minister of state for home Dibya Shankar Mishra on Friday evening broke his silence accusing some TV channels of launching a character assassination campaign against him.
“I am deeply saddened and anguished by the unfortunate death of Mamita Meher. I am a father and I can understand the trauma the family must be going through. My deepest condolences to the family of Mamita Meher. I was shocked by how certain media have launched a malicious character assassination campaign based on falsehood against me. This has also hurt my family. Therefore, my family has filed a criminal and civil defamation case against three media groups for defaming me and assassinating my character with false, malicious and wild allegations for furthering their narrow personal and political gains,” said Mishra.
Gobind Sahu, president of the managing committee of Sunshine English medium school in Mahaling grampanchayat of Kalahandi district allegedly strangled to death 26-year-old Mamita Meher, a teacher in the school, in his car somewhere in Kalahandi district on October 8 after the latter allegedly threatened to expose her extramarital affairs. He then allegedly dismembered the body, burnt it and buried it in an under-construction stadium near the school. He was arrested on October 19 and is now in judicial custody. Since then, the opposition has been stridently demanding his sacking from the Naveen Patnaik ministry alleging his complicity with Sahu.
“As an MLA, I have attended functions at many educational institutions. In fact, public representatives are supposed to attend functions in educational institutions. Therefore, a crime happening in any one of the institutions that I have visited as a guest for functions cannot be attributed to me,” he said, alleging that a smear campaign by some media houses and opposition political parties was on.
“These media houses, apart from their smear campaign, have also been questioning my silence. I have always believed that in case of sensitive, heinous offences, law enforcement agencies should act in a free and fair manner so that the accused meet the ends of justice. Hence, I always avoided commenting on heinous offences. But I felt the need to give a statement as this smear campaign has been affecting my family,” he said.
The minister’s statement came on the day a three-member central BJP team, comprising the party’s Mahila Morcha National President Vanathi Srinivasan, Lok Sabha MP from Haryana Sunita Duggal and West Bengal MLA Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhury, met the family of Mamita Meher at her native village Jharni under Tureikela block of Bolangir district.
“The family is in shock. We have doubts about the process of investigation by the police department. How did Gobinda Sahu escape from police custody? The close links of the Minister (Mishra) with the main accused have been established. We demand the resignation of the ninster,” said Vanathi Srinivasan.
Duggal said the BJP team would prepare a report in this regard and submit it to BJP president JP Nadda. “Her (Mamita’s) parents want death sentence for those involved in the murder case and we will try our best to ensure justice to the victim’s family,” said Duggal.
On Thursday, AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala demanded the arrest of Mishra alleging his role in the murder conspiracy as well as his sacking from the Naveen Patnaik ministry.
“If he (minister Mishra) supervises the investigation then who will punish the culprits? Until the minister has not been removed, the Naveen Patnaik-led government would not be able to punish the criminals. Is it not true that murder-accused Gobinda Sahu had direct links with Mishra. Isn’t it true that Mishra and other ministers of the BJD government were staying at the educational institute? The way the teacher was murdered here in Kalahandi reminds the 2012 brutal rape of Nirbhaya in Delhi. The BJD has made the land of Jagannath a crime-prone one. Murderers and criminals are wielding power in the state. And the victim’s family is running from pillar to the post for justice,” asked Surjewala.
