Hours after the murder of Kulamani Baral, BJP Salepur in-charge and former Mahanga Block Chairman, his associate Dibya Singh Baral succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack on Sunday.
Baral and Singh had been critically injured after being attacked by miscreants with sharp weapons near Jankoti in Cuttack district on Saturday evening when the duo was returning home by a motorcycle.They were taken in an ambulance to the Mahanga Community Health Centre, where the doctor declared Baral brought dead while Singh was shifted to the SCB Hospital. Though the reason behind the attack was yet to be ascertained, it was suspected that the incident was due to political enmity.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Kulamani Baral’s son Ramakant lodged an FIR in connection with the incident against 12 persons. The FIR was filed against four persons of Jankoti and eight of Nrutang village at the Mahanga police station. Cops detained a person for questioning.
In Bhubaneswar, BJP State president Samir Mohanty and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Pradipya Naik (BJP) demanded that Mahanga MLA and Minister Pratap Jena be sacked from the Ministry as he is alleged to be protector of the murder accused.
BJP State general secretary Golak Mohapatra alleged that ruling BJD members engineered the double murder.