Speculations are rife as senior Congress leader belonging to Balangir district Nrasingha Mishra on Tuesday reiterated that top leaders of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) are involved in the murder of BJD youth leader Abhimanyu Sahu’s gruesome murder at Titilagarh in Balangir district on Sunday.
“Abhimanyu’s murder was the result of the internecine conflict within the BJD. The top leadership of the ruling party is linked with the incident. Such political murders are on the rise in Balangir district, but the killers are not being caught,” Mishra told the media, demanding a CBI probe into the case.
Mishra, who is also an acclaimed lawyer, also referred to the clear hints by slain Sahu’s wife Gita and Balangir Superintendent of Police Ravi Prakash that political rivalry was the reason behind Sahu’s killing.
Mishra demanded to know why Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is not responding to the demand of a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) inquiry and has, instead, ordered a State Crime Branch probe into the murder. The Crime Branch is under the State Government’s domain, he pointed out.
Mishra, who is the State Congress media cell chairman, reminded the Government that Sahu’s supporters are demanding a CBI inquiry and the total Titilagarh Bandh on Monday was held in support of this demand.
Mishra alleged that the Chief Minister seems to have come to know who is behind the murder and that’s the reason he has ordered a Crime Branch inquiry instead of a CBI probe.
On the other hand, Government (BJD) chief whip in the State Assembly Pravat Tripathy justified the Chief Minister’s act in ordering a Crime Branch probe. He remarked that there are differences in the BJD as there are in other parties, but the BJD infighting is not serious that it would lead to elimination of a leader.