A day after his family demanded a re-investigation into the mysterious death of engineering student Ashutosh Mohanty alias Rishi, the Commissionerate police on Sunday formed a special team to probe the death.
“The team would be headed by Zone-III ACP Tapan Patnaik. All friends of the deceased, including girlfriend, and his roommate and others who were closely associated with him will be summoned for interrogation,” said Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi. Notably, BJP and Congress have alleged BMC Mayor and ruling BJD general secretary Ananta Narayan Jena was involved in Rishi’s death.
After Rishi’s death in May this year, the police had started investigation registering an unnatural death case.
On Saturday, the BJP and Congress took to the streets and demanded a high-level probe into the death while Rishi’s mother demanded an inquiry into the links of her son’s death with the sex scandal video clip, allegedly involving the BMC Mayor which has gone viral on social media. The family members also demanded that the police investigate the love affair of Rishi and interrogate his girlfriend and a hostel mate.
Meanwhile, the BJP on Sunday called for ‘Chaka Jam’ stir in all urban areas across the State for four hours from 10 am to 2 pm on Monday over the sex scandal case. The BJP Yuva Morcha on the day staged a demonstration at Raj Mahal Square here demanding Mayor Jena’s resignation. Meanwhile, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan dubbed the allegation against the Mayor as serious.
“The charges against the Mayor would be considered grave if it is based on specific evidence. Rishi’s death has raised much suspicion. The local probe agency seems to have given less emphasis to the case and attempted to suppress it”, Pradhan alleged.