Parala suicides: Kin moves Odisha rights body again

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jan 17:

Amulya Patra, brother of deceased Ananga Manjari Patra, the former manager of Paralakhemundi Maharaja Gajapati Gopinath Narayan Deb today alleged that the probe into the Parala mass suicide case has been sluggish.

Patra met the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) here today in this regard and lodged a fresh complaint.

“For the last one month or more we feel there has been no development in the investigations. I with my sister had come and met the Commissioner on November 29 last year and had submitted our complaint. Today I have again come to meet the Commissioner,” said Patra to reporters.

“I have also filed an objection petition at Orissa High Court for canceling repeat grant of interim bail to the MLA,” he revealed.

Patra had earlier lodged a complaint with the OHRC on November 29 last year alleging tardy progress in the investigations by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Crime Branch.

It may be recalled that the body of Ananga Manjari Patra and her two other siblings, was recovered from her Jangam Sahi residence on August 21 last year.

Another brother, Santosh, was rescued from the house, where he was found lying on the floor, in a critical condition. The following day, he died at MKCG Medical College and Hospital.

Three suicide notes were later recovered from the residence wherein names of 11 persons were mentioned. The writers of the notes had held local MLA K Surya Rao and a particular television channel responsible for their deaths.

It is worth mentioning here that Rao had led a campaign demanding action against the Ananga and her brother who worked as a personal assistant to the king for keeping the Maharaja under house arrest and trying to sell off royal properties.