The BJP on Monday observed a 12-hour dawn-to-dusk bandh in Jajpur district demanding a CBI probe into the mysterious death of Haridaspur Village Level Worker (VLW) and in-charge Panchayat Executive Officer Smitarani Biswal.
While shops and other business establishments remained closed, vehicular movement also came to a grinding halt in Jajpur town as BJP workers staged road blockades at various junctions by burning tyres. Police were deployed across the town to avoid any untoward incident.
“We strongly suspect that the mysterious death of the VLW is a case of rape and murder. We want the case to be handed over to the CBI,” said BJP leader and former DGP Prakash Mishra.
Mishra, who was part of a BJP team that visited Haridaspur for an inquiry into the incident, alleged that the policed investigation is not going in a right direction as cops are working under the instruction of the suspected culprits.
Notably, Smitarani had gone to Haridaspur panchayat to disburse old age pension money among the beneficiaries on October 16. Later, she went to a guesthouse of Rupesh Bhadra, husband of Haridaspur Sarpanch Madhusmita Bhadra, at Baligari in his car. She was then found dead in Rupesh’s personal room in the guesthouse. Police have arrested Rupesh on the charge of abetting Smitarani’s suicide.