According to the police chargesheet in the case handed on Friday, Assistant Sub-inspector of Police Gopal Das shot and killed former Odisha health minister Naba Kishore Das out of personal animosity and mental agony.
In the incident on January 29, Gopal Das is the only suspect, and the murder was motivated by a grudge from the past. According to the statement, accusations have been made under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 302 (murder), and the Weapons Act.
A mere three days before the 120-day mark since Das’s murder, the chargesheet was presented to the court.
If found guilty, the ASI could receive a prison sentence of up to life in prison and a fine.
The chargesheet submitted by the state police’s Crime Branch, according to the opposition BJP and Congress, conceals more information than it divulges.
“There are several lies in the chargesheet. It is unclear what worries caused him to act in this way. Additionally, when exactly did Gopal Das plan the murder?” Prithiviraj Harichandan, the state general secretary of the BJP, remarked.
Narasingha Mishra, the leader of the Congress Legislative Party, expressed his discontent with the investigation, alleging that the conspiracy theory was not looked into.
The Crime Branch presented the 543-page chargesheet in the case before the Jharsuguda Judicial Magistrate First Class Court on Friday. The accusations made against Gopal Das are supported by studies from a scientific team and testimonies made by eyewitnesses.
The Crime Branch was given the case to look into the murder’s motivation.
The defendant’s request to be evaluated at Bengaluru’s National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences was denied by the court.
It made reference to the conclusion that Gopal Das was mentally healthy in a report by the medical board, which was made up of specialists from the publicly funded SCB Medical College and Hospital.
The minister was allegedly shot by the ASI at Brajrajnagar Gandhi Chowk while he was in the Jharsuguda district for business.
According to the chargesheet, the accused painstakingly planned and carried out the murder by himself. There was no group effort or outside help.
The report claimed that the narco test and layered voice analysis proved the police officer had shot himself out of personal animosity.
“After evaluation of all evidence — oral, documentary, medico-legal, cyber forensic and ballistic opinion, it is clear that the accused Gopal Das had developed a personal grudge and anguish against deceased minister Naba Kishore Das. He felt threatened by the minister and his supporters and feared for his life. Gradually, he made up his mind to commit murder,” the chargesheet said. The police officer’s mental condition was “quite normal” and there was no abnormality at the time. He was cooperative during the investigation and replied to all questions asked in a cogent manner, it said.
Yet, according to his wife Jayanti, he has been receiving treatment for “psychological disorders” for the past seven to eight years.
The ASI used his service pistol to shoot at him from a very close distance while on duty in Jharsuguda district clearing traffic for the minister’s programme. After firing at the minister, he was immediately taken into custody by the police and fired from his position.
The minister was taken by air to Bhubaneswar, where he eventually passed away from his wounds.
Gopal Das was awarded 18 citations and nine prizes for outstanding work as a police officer throughout his tenure. The accused’s family resided on the outskirts of Berhampur, and he was sent to the Jharasuguda area in 2013.
Prasanta Patnaik