Bhubaneswar, Aug 13: The BJP government in Odisha will reopen the year-and-a-half-old murder case of Health Minister in previous BJD government, Naba Kishore Das, and a few more heinous past crimes in the State.

“He (Naba Das) was a BJD member, but he was a Minister. A Minister being murdered in broad daylight can’t be taken so lightly,” Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said.

Naba Das, Health and Family Welfare Minister in Naveen Patnaik government, was shot by Gopal Das, an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Odisha Police, in broad daylight at Brajrajnagar in Jharsuguda district on January 29, 2023.

Accused Gopal Das is in judicial custody and the trial is on in this connection.

The Law Minister also said few other heinous past crimes in Odisha such as the assassination of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati in 2008, brutal murder of Kalahandi teacher Mamita Meher in 2022 will also be re-investigated.

Notably, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his disciples were murdered on August 23, 2008 in Kandhamal district, which had triggered riots back in the days. In September 2013, a trial court convicted seven men for the killing and handed them life sentence.

Mamita Meher, a teacher at Sunshine English Medium School, Mahaling in Kalahandi district, had gone missing on October 8, 2021 and her body parts were traced beneath the soil on October 19, 2021. She was allegedly killed by Gobina Sahu, owner of the school and a close associate of former Minister Dibya Shankar Mishra.

Key accused in the Mamita murder case, Gobind Sahu, was found dead in jail in December 2022.

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