Cuttack: Orissa high court has junked a PIL seeking a CBI probe into the murder of health minister Naba Kisore Das after the state govt submitted a report on the status of investigation and criminal case regarding it on Wednesday.
The BJD leader was shot by police officer Gopal Das at Brajrajnagar on Jan 29, 2023. The state CID-Crime Branch probed the murder under the supervision of Justice J P Das (retd) and submitted a charge sheet. The accused police officer is in custody and the trial is on.
Pinakpani Mohanty, a social activist had filed the petition. Acting on it the HC had on Feb 12 sought a status report on the murder case.
The status report submitted by the govt said, “After submission of charge sheet against accused Gopal Krishna Das, the court of JMFC, Jharsuguda on July 13, 2023 committed the case to the court of additional sessions/special judge, Jharsuguda, on which framed the charges against the accused on September 14,.2023.”
The report added that the trial in the case has already started and 29 witnesses have been examined, cross examined and discharged out of 179 witnesses. “The next day of trial has been fixed for March 13,” the report stated.
Taking it on record, the two-judge bench of acting Chief Justice Arindam Sinha and Justice M S Sahoo said, “Information sought for by petitioner has thus been made available. No further direction or order need be made. The writ petition is disposed of.”