MLA Soumya Patnaik has Qualms over his Armed PSO after Murder of Naba Das by a Police ASI

Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik has fears in his mind regarding the armed PSO provided to him by the Odisha police. Speaking to newsmen in Cuttack on Saturday, he said, most often he fears that his PSO would turn out to be one like Gopal Das, the police ASI who shot dead former Odisha health minister Naba Das in Brajarajnagar.

“I am surprised and still find it unacceptable. That, in a democratic set-up an ASI would fire a powerful minister and the latter would die is hard to believe. I have also been provided with a PSO and he also has a pistol. Most often I think my PSO would become one like Gopal Das,” said Soumya Ranjan Patnaik.

A day back, BJP MLA and LoP Jaynarayan Mishra returned back his PSO. When asked about the justification of LoP Jaynarayan Mishra returning back his PSO, Soumya Ranjan said, “I don’t want to comment on what he said. But I would say what he has done is wrong.”

The exact reason for which the ASI Gopal Das shot at Naba Das has not been ascertained. Soumya Ranjan felt the police should find out the truth behind the Naba Das murder to put an end to all gossip related to it.

He quipped at the Odisha DGP’s statement regarding the murder of the former state health minister, saying, “He should worship Lord Jagannath and invoke him to come in his dream and tell him the reason behind the murder.” There is an eagerness to know why an ASI killed a minister and it is the duty of the police to find out the truth, Soumya Ranjan added.