A chargesheet filed by the Crime Branch of the Odisha police on Friday attributed minister Naba Kisore Das’s murder to the “personal grudge and anguish” that the accused, ASI Gopal Das, had against him.
The Crime Branch submitted a 543-page chargesheet at a court in Jharsuguda, 118 days after the murder.
“After evaluation of all the evidence—oral, documentary, medico legal, cyber forensic and ballistic opinion, it became clear that the accused police assistant sub-inspector (ASI) had developed personal grudge and anguish against the deceased minister. He felt threatened from the slain minister and his supporters and feared for his life,” read the chargesheet.
Ruling out any “conspiracy” behind the crime as alleged by Opposition parties, the chargesheet said the ASI had made up his mind, meticulously planned and then executed the crime. “The investigation also established that the accused committed the crime in his senses and in a pre-planned manner,” said the chargesheet.
The ASI, who was on traffic clearance duty, gunned down the health minister at Brajrajnagar on January 29 while the latter was going to attend an official programme. He has been charged under sections 307 (murder) and 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code and section 27(1) of the Arms Act.
The Crime Branch examined 89 witnesses and seized the firearm, live cartridges, empty case of cartridges and a handwash from the ASI. It used latest technologies like the Faro camera for spot recording, layered voice analysis test, polygraph test and the narco test on the accused to ascertain the veracity of his statement.
Even though family members of the ASI had claimed that he had bipolar disorder long back, the chargesheet said his mental condition was stable and normal. “A special medical board had not found active psychopathology in the accused police ASI. It was also ascertained from the locals and colleagues that his mental condition was quite normal and there was no abnormality. He was cooperative in the investigation and replying to all the questions asked in a cogent manner,” said the chargesheet.
Despite the medical board’s findings, the Crime Branch had planned to take the ASI to Bengaluru’s National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciencesfor further mental evaluation, but a court rejected the plan in March.
The investigation is kept open as a few reports and clarifications are awaited and for complying with some formalities, said a Crime Branch officer.
