Assassination of Naba Das shows increasing lawlessness in Odisha: Pradhan
Assassination of Naba Das shows increasing lawlessness in Odisha: Pradhan
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Bhubaneswar: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan lashed out at the Odisha government on Sunday for what he called the state's apparent lawlessness, which included a police officer shooting Health Minister Naba Das in broad daylight.
"How do you explain a cop shooting a cabinet minister from close range with his service revolver?" he asked.
While questioning the transparency of the ongoing investigation, Dharmendra also criticized Odisha DGP Sunil Bansal's statement that no one, except Lord Jagannath, could have predicted such an incident. "While the CM, who holds the Home portfolio, has remained mum over the incident, the DGP is trying to shrug off his responsibility in the name of Lord Jagannath. "This reveals a lot about the state's law and order situation," he said.
According to the Union Minister, the government does not appear serious about the investigation, which he claims is being conducted on a preconceived line, and thus the case should be turned over to an independent agency.
The appointment of a retired judge to oversee the Crime Branch investigation was also questioned by the Union Minister. "He has not been appointed in accordance with the Commission Act. Instead, the state government wrote to the HC registrar, and the charge was assigned to a retired judge. But we don't know anything about the power he's been given," he explained.
Concerned about the attack on a sub-collector by sand mafias in Balasore, Dharmendra stated that recent incidents clearly show that the law enforcement agency is not doing its job.
He also mentioned the Kulamani Barala and Anand Tappo murder cases, in which a FIR was only filed after the Orissa High Court intervened. "Only two days ago, a BJD MLA was booked after the HC issued an order on the woman complainant's plea," he added.
