Odisha health minister assassination: CM allocates portfolio to Fin Min

Bhubaneswar, Jan 30 (IANS) A day after the assassination of Odisha health minister Naba Kishore Das, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday allocated Das’s portfolio to Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari.

The Chief Minister gave the portfolio to Pujari after getting approval from Governor Ganeshi Lal. Pujari is also holding the Parliamentary Affairs department.

Health Minister Das was killed by a bullet fired by police ASI Gopal Krushna Das. The ASI fired a single round from his official revolver aiming at the chest of Das. Though he was airlifted to Bhubaneswar for treatment, doctors failed to revive him.

Soon after the incident Brajarajnagar police station IIC Pradyumna Swain, who was present at the spot, registered a case under IPC sections 307 and 27(1).

In the FIR filed by him, Swain said the ASI, who was deployed for traffic control during the minister’s visit to Brajarajnagar, came close to his vehicle and opened fire from his service pistol with the clear intention to kill the minister.

The Brajarajnagar IIC along with Rampur police outpost constable K.C. Pradhan caught the ASI who fired two more rounds from his 9 mm pistol during the tussle. The IIC and another person sustained injuries during this firing, as per the FIR. Both the injured persons are stated to be stable.

Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik paid tributes to the deceased minister at the latter’s official residence here.

Assembly Speaker, ministers, MLAs and leaders from all political parties paid their last respects to Das in the Assembly, Das’s official residence, BJD party office, Jharsuguda airport and different locations in Jharsuguda. Thousands of supporters of Das also gathered at Das’s house in Jharsuguda.

The state government on Sunday evening had announced a three-day mourning across Odisha. There will be no official entertainment for three days from January 29-31 throughout the state, an order issued by the government said.

State honours would be accorded to the late leader. The government has ordered that the national flag will be flown at half-mast at the place where the funeral will take place.

The crime branch has started its investigation into the high-profile murder. Crime branch ADG Arun Bothra started interrogating ASI Gopal Das at Reserve Line in Sundargarh. Northern range IG Deepak Kumar is also present there. The reason behind the assassination is yet to be known.

–IANS

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