Naba Das murder: Accused Gopal Das’ wife, nephew interrogated

Berhampur: Odisha Crime Branch probing into sensational murder case of Naba Kishore Das interrogated accused Gopal Krushna Das’ wife and nephew here this morning.

A four-member Crime Branch team reached the residence of Gopal Das at Ankuli industrial area under Baidyanathpur police limits in Berhampur on Saturday morning and grilled his wife Jayanti Das and nephew in connection with the health minister’s murder.

Earlier, Gopal Das’ elder brother was picked up by the Crime Branch for questioning in the case.

Meanwhile, the remand period of Gopal Das, who is in judicial custody in the murder case, will end today. He is on the 4-day remand by the Crime Branch since February 1.

During the probe, the investigative team led by IPS Officer Arun Bothra found 22 pieces of handwritten papers from septic tank of Jharsuguda Airport Police Station. A few handwriting experts have been roped in to examine the retrieved notes.

The accused had reportedly written the motive behind killing the minister in the papers. He had flushed the handwritten notes at the toilet during his detention at Airport Police Station, sources said.

Yesterday, the Crime Branch team seized a few documents and diaries from the accused’s quarters and office desk.

Worth mentioning that Gopal Das, the police ASI of Gandhi Chowk Police Outpost, reportedly gunned down Health & Family Welfare Minister Naba Das while he was alighting from his vehicle to attend a public meeting at Brajarajnagar on January 29 in Jharsuguda district. The BJD leader fell down and he was airlifted to Bhubaneswar in critical condition. He was admitted to the Apollo Hospital where he was declared dead.

Following the incident, the state government transferred Jharsuguda SP Rahul Jain and Brajarajnagar SDPO Gupteswar Bhoi to State Police Headquarters and ordered crime branch probe into the murder case. The Crime Branch so far has formed three teams for the investigation.