The Soro police initiating investigation into the recent mysterious death of choreographer and TV serial actor Ranjit (Raja) Patnaik (38) on Thursday interrogated event manager Pralaya Jena and car driver Dhaneswar Behera, who were with him on the incident day, on Thursday.
Besides, known TV actress Jessy was with them while they were returning Bhubaneswar on Sunday morning by a car after performing at an opera show held on Saturday at Khaira.The police said they didn’t find Jessy at her house.
Raja’s uncle Amiya Patnaik had alleged that his nephew was murdered on the way and lodged an FIR with police on Sunday. Basic on his complaint, the Soro police had taken Pralaya and Dhaneswar into custody.
Soro PS IIC Parsuram Sahoo said all the three named in the FIR were summoned. As they didn’t respond, a team went to Bhubaneswar and apprehended Jena and Behera. But Jessy couldn’t be traced, he said.
“A case has been registered and the investigated is on,’ said the IIC, adding that the two have stated that that there was a heated argument between Raja and Jessy over the stage show in the previous night. Raja stopped the car in the pretext of attending nature’s call and jumped off a bridge. He fell into 35 feet gorge and sustained severe injuries. Initially, he was taken to Bhadrak DHH and then transferred to the SCB Medical College Hospital, Cuttac, where he died.
A team of police has gone to spot and is trying to find if any other person was there at the time of incident, said Sahoo.
Raja had come to limelight after he clicked in a reality show, Woogi-Woogi, by positioning him among the top five. Raja also acted in some vernacular popular tele serials and was also running a dance school.