Brother wants MlA staff quizzed
A man’s body was found hanging from a tree in the premises of the official quarters allotted to sitting BJD MlA and former Minister Pramila Mallick on Sunday morning, police sources said.
The deceased was identified as Surendra Routary (40) of Mallick’s Binjharpur constituency in Jajpur district, who was staying at Jena Sahi in the Badagada area of Bhubaneswar. He was an auto-rickshaw driver by profession.
Though the exact reason behind the man’s death was yet to be ascertained, sources said family dispute over police cases against him might have led him to commit suicide.
After being informed by the staff working in the official quarters of MlA Mallick, Capital police station personnel reached the spot and sent Surendra’s body to the Capital Hospital for autopsy.
The police sources said Mallick was not present at her official quarters during the incident as she stays in her private residence at Jagamara under the Khandagiri police limits.
When asked, the MlA said Surendra was a BJD worker and had visited her quarters on Saturday. “His family members are also BJD workers. He comes very often to my office and spends sometime there. But I don’t know about his problems or reasons that drove him to take the extreme step,” Mallick said.
Meanwhile, Surendra’s elder brother demanded that the police interrogate the staff of the MlA’s quarters to unearth the truth behind the death of his brother. “The police have to investigate deeply into the matter whether it is a case of murder or suicide,” he said.
The Capital police, who have interrogated the staff at Mallick’s quarters, are investigating into the possible reasons behind Surendra’s death.