Odisha Court directs police to probe Minister’s alleged involvement in Mahanga double murder

Bhubaneswar/Salepur: A court directed the police to launch a fresh probe into the allegations on involvement of Panchayati Raj and Law Minister Pratap Jena in the double murder occurred in Mahanga of Cuttack district earlier this year.

Hearing a protest petition filed by Ramakant Baral, son of deceased BJP leader Kulamani Baral, the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Court Salepur directed the Mahanga Police to start an investigation into the Mahanga double murder anew. The court also directed the police to investigate the alleged involvement of the Law Minister in the case.

Family members of Kulamani accused the Mahanga Police of dropping the Law Minister’s name in the chargesheet filed by it in the JMFC court.

On January 2 evening, BJP leader Kulamani Baral and associate Dibya Singh Baral were critically injured after being attacked by some miscreants with sharp weapons near Jankoti in Cuttack district when the duo was returning home on a motorcycle.

The two were rushed to the Mahanga Community Health Centre (CHC), where doctors declared Kulamani brought dead while Dibya Singh was shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital. Dibya Singh succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at the SCB hospital.

Around one month later Prafulla Biswal, one of the accused in the double murder case was found dead on road near Tangi.

A total of 10 people were arrested in connection with the murder of Kulamani and associate Dibya Singh.