Bhubaneswar: The murder case of former Odisha minister Naba Das has once again sparked political debate in the state, with a BJD legislator demanding a CBI investigation, while the Law Minister alleged that the previous government had attempted to stall the probe.

BJD MLA Manohar Randhari today demanded a CBI probe into the murder case. He said the BJP had earlier demanded a CBI investigation when it was not in power, but failed to initiate such a probe after coming to power.

Randhari claimed that even after repeated requests from Naba Das' family, the government has not written to the CBI for a probe. He urged the state government to hand over the case to the central agency to ensure justice.

Reacting to statements made by Naba Das’ daughter Dipali Das, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said the government has taken note of the family’s concerns. He said the Crime Branch has resumed the investigation based on doubts raised by the family.

The Law Minister said that the Crime Branch is conducting a thorough probe into all aspects of the case, including the possible conspiracy and the involvement of others.

He alleged that the previous government had tried to stop the investigation and said the probe gained momentum again after the family met Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Harichandan expressed confidence that justice would be delivered soon.

It may be recalled that Naba Das was allegedly shot by Gopal Das, a former assistant sub-inspector of police, at Brajrajnagar in Jharsuguda district on January 29, 2023. He was airlifted to Bhubaneswar but was declared dead at a private hospital.

The accused was arrested the next day, and the state government had entrusted the probe to the Odisha Crime Branch. The Crime Branch has already submitted a chargesheet against Gopal Das in a trial court in Jharsuguda.