Odisha minister cremated; probe on to find out motive behind murder

Bhubaneswar: A day after Odisha health minister Naba Kishore Das was shot dead by an assistant sub-inspector of police (ASI), interrogation of the accused continued on Monday to ascertain the motive behind the murder, police officers said, adding that the 60-year-old minister was cremated in Jharsuguda district with full state honours

Published on: Jan 31, 2023, 24:28:07 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar: A day after Odisha health minister Naba Kishore Das was shot dead by an assistant sub-inspector of police (ASI), interrogation of the accused continued on Monday to ascertain the motive behind the murder, police officers said, adding that the 60-year-old minister was cremated in Jharsuguda district with full state honours.

Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders and workers gather to pay tribute to party leader and Odisha Health Minister Naba Kishore Das, in Bhubaneswar, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. Das died in hospital hours after being shot by a policeman in Jharsuguda district on Sunday. (PTI Photo)(PTI01_30_2023_000102A) (PTI)

The health and family welfare minister was fired upon at Brajrajnagar town around 1 pm on Sunday by ASI Gopal Das, who is believed to be suffering from a mental disorder. The injured Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader was airlifted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, where he died.

The special investigation team (SIT) of the Odisha police crime branch which interrogated the ASI in Sundargarh district on Monday said the motive behind the murder was yet to be ascertained.

“The accused ASI has confessed to the crime. We will bring him on remand for further interrogation to ascertain the motive,” Bothra told reporters. “We plan to take the ASI on remand for seven days to find out the exact motive. Our officials have seized the 9 mm pistol and three rounds of live ammunition and mobile handset of the accused which will be sent for ballistic examination.”

The minister, who had gone to Brajarajnagar to inaugurate two buildings of the local municipality, was stepping out of his car when the ASI, posted in the Gandhi Chowk outpost, forced his way and fired from a very close range at the minister. While he was overpowered by a police inspector, he fired two more rounds injuring two others.

Accused ASI Das (53) was dismissed from service under Article 311 of the Constitution, a press release from the Jharsuguda superintendent of police’s office said.

A psychiatrist in Berhampur, the hometown of the accused, said the ASI was suffering from bipolar disorder for the last 10 years. “The symptoms can relapse if the patient discontinues medication. However, I am not sure if the ASI killed the minister due to his mental illness,” said Chandrasekhar Tripathy, the Psychiatrist who first treated the ASI 10 years ago.

Jayanti, the wife of Gopal Das, also claimed he was taking medicines for mental illness. She told the reporters that the ASI was not getting leaves and was under stress.

Meanwhile, opposition parties in Odisha attacked the BJD government, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding a CBI probe to unearth the “conspiracy” behind the murder, while Congress blaming chief minister Naveen Patnaik for the “collapse of law and order” in the state.

Senior BJP leader Jayanarayan Mishra said the state police could not probe into this incident as the accused is also an employee of the force.

“I suspect that the minister’s killing is part of a conspiracy as the accused ASI Gopal Das was issued a service revolver only a day before the minister’s killing,” Mishra, who is also the leader of opposition in state assembly told reporters in Bhubaneswar. “If the chief minister wants to reveal the truth behind the minister’s murder, he must order a CBI probe.”

Holding CM Naveen Patnaik responsible for the “worsening” law-and-order situation in the state, Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja said: “Is there any law and order situation in the state? A minister is killed by a policeman in broad daylight.”

Meanwhile, the mortal remains of the minister were consigned to flames at his native village of Kherual in Jharsuguda district. His son, Bishal Das, lit the funeral pyre after it was taken on a procession. The Odisha government has announced a three-day state mourning as a mark of respect to Das.

The crime branch in a statement on Monday said the case registered against ASI Das under Section 307 of the IPC and 27(1) of the Arms Act, has been converted and he is now booked under Section 302 of the IPC (punishment for murder).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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