Naba Das murder case: Accused Gopal Das produced before Odisha court

Jharsuguda: Gopal Das, the prime accused in Odisha Health Minister Naba Kishore Das assassination case, appeared before the JMFC court in Jharsuguda for hearing.

A team of Crime Branch that is probing into the sensational murder case, reached Jharsuguda with the accused, who was lodged in the Choudwar Circle Jail in Cuttack, today. He was brought from OSAP Battalion and produced before the JMFC Court amid tight security at District Court Complex in Jharsuguda.

Sources said that the JMFC Court transferred the case to District & Sessions Judge Court, Jharsuguda.

On May 26, the Crime Branch had submitted the 543-page preliminary chargesheet in Jharsuguda JMFC Court in Naba Das murder case. The investigative agency had prepared the chargesheet based on the statements of 89 witnesses including IO Ramesh Dora, DSP of Crime Branch and reports of scientific team against dismissed ASI accused Gopal Krushna Das.

Naba Das was assassinated on January 29, 2023, while he was stepping out of his car to attend a public meeting at Brajarajnagar in Jharsuguda.

According to reports, Gopal Das, who was assigned for clearing traffic at Gandhi Chowk in Brajrajnagar area during a programme to be attended by Naba Das, fired at the minister with his service gun from a short distance.

The minister was declared dead at Apollo Hospital in Bhubaneswar later in the evening.

Police arrested Gopal Das and the case was handed over to Crime Branch to investigate the motive behind the murder.