Soumya Ranjan Death Case / Supreme Court Rejects Bidya Bharati’s Plea in Soumya Ranjan Death Case

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar, Sep 30: The sensational death case of Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra has taken a fresh turn, with the Supreme Court dismissing the plea filed by his wife Bidya Bharati Panda.

The apex court rejected her challenge to the lower court’s directive, which had ordered trial proceedings against her in connection with Soumya’s mysterious death in July 2021.

Earlier, the Paralakhemundi SDJM Court had directed that Bidya Bharati face trial under IPC Sections 302 (murder) and 120‑B (criminal conspiracy).

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The order was based on allegations made by Soumya’s family, who accused Bidya Bharati, then DFO Sangram Keshari Behera, and cook Manmath Kumbha of being involved in the incident.

Bidya Bharati had approached the Supreme Court after the Orissa High Court dismissed her petitions seeking exemption from personal appearance and challenging the summons.

The High Court had directed her to appear before the trial court by October 1. With the Supreme Court now rejecting her plea, the possibility of arrest looms larger.

Soumya’s death continues to stir debate across Odisha. On the night of July 12, 2021, Soumya was reportedly standing near the kitchen when his clothes suddenly caught fire. Witness accounts suggest he was wearing a round‑neck T‑shirt that began burning.

Bidya Bharati rushed to remove the garment but failed, then attempted to fetch water from the bathroom before falling and raising an alarm.

Cook Manmath responded, dousing Soumya with water before rushing him to the Paralakhemundi health centre in the DFO’s vehicle. He was later shifted to Cuttack’s Ashwini Hospital, where he succumbed to burn injuries the next morning at 9 AM.

Whether Soumya’s death was a case of murder, suicide, or accident remains unresolved. Investigations are ongoing, but the trial court’s directive and the Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene have intensified scrutiny.

The case has become one of Odisha’s most widely discussed legal battles, with public opinion sharply divided over the circumstances of the young officer’s tragic end.