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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today demanded probe by a Central agency into the arerst and crimes of top naxal leader, Sabyasachi Panda, alleging that nexus between the ruling party leaders and Panda might impede an impartial enquiry by the state police.
“The Odisha police will not take the investigation process on Sabyasachi to logical end since the naxalite has named several ruling party leaders during initial interrogation. That’s why Panda’s lawyer was kept away from the scene during interrogation to ensure that he does not spill the beans about the quid pro quo between the Maoists and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders. It is only a Central agency like the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which can unravel the whole truth,” said KV Singhdeo, state unit president of BJP. The state police has halted interrogation of Panda to avoid complying with Berhampur SDJM court order which said a relative of the arrested naxalite or his lawyer would be present during the probe. The state government has argued that since Panda has been charged with crimes involving sedition, presence of outside persons is unwarranted and has challenged the lower court order in High Court.
The state BJP has also decided to write to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh urging him to consider getting the matter inquired by a Central agency such as the NIA. “Even though Sabyasachi’s crimes were limited within the state border, he had kidnapped foreign tourists and killed Swami Laxamananada Saraswati in Kandhamal resulting in riots. Both these events had drawn international attention. So, it is a fit case to be probed by a national agency,” Singhdeo added. “All major naxal related incidents such abduction of Malkanagiri collector Vineel Krishna and two Italian tourists and even arrest of Sabyasachi Panda have taken place when the assembly was in session,” he alleged.
