The Orissa High Court has ordered a Crime Branch probe into the ‘mysterious’ death of Dalit RTI activist Ranjan Kumar Das in Kendrapada district which took place three years back. The probe was ordered after a Single Bench Judge viewed a video clip submitted by Das’ father Laxmidhar Das.
On February 1, 2020, Das, who had exposed a series of corrupt deeds of local officials, was found dead on a roadside of Beruhan village under the Marshaghai police station. The local police dismissed the murder angle and registered an unnatural death case claiming that Das died in a road accident.
RTI activists in the State alleged a cover-up exercise by police.
“Indeed, the police have completed the investigation in a hush-hush manner without bringing all angles to the ambit of investigation,” Justice Dr SK Panigrahi observed while directing the Crime Branch of the Odisha Police to take over the investigation.