Naba Das Assassination: CB Grills Accused Gopal Das’ Family Members

Bhubaneswar: As part of the investigation of the sensational broad daylight assassination of former health minister Naba Das, the Odisha Crime Branch interrogated accused Gopal Krushna Das’ wife and nephew in Berhampur on Saturday morning.

A four-member Crime Branch team was involved in this interrogation. The Crime Branch team interrogated the wife and nephew of accused Gopal Das at their residence in the Ankuli industrial area under Baidyanathpur police limits in Berhampur. Earlier, Crime Branch had picked up Gopal Das’ elder brother for questioning. .

The 4-day remand period of Gopal Das will end today. The investigating Crime Branch team led by IPS Officer Arun Bothra found 22 pieces of handwritten papers from the septic tank of Jharsuguda Airport Police Station. The accused had reportedly written the reason behind his lethal attack on the minister on these papers, which he had flushed in the toilet during his detention at Airport Police Station.

Crime Branch has also seized some documents and diaries from the residence and office desk of the accused.

Gopal Das, the police ASI of Gandhi Chowk Police Outpost in Brajarajnagar shot at 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 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 ordered a Crime Branch probe into the murder case. The Crime Branch so far has formed three teams for the investigation. The Jharsuguda SP Rahul Jain and Brajarajnagar SDPO Gupteswar Bhoi have been transferred to State Police Headquarters.