Bhubaneswar: A former Orissa High Court judge will monitor the police crime branch investigation into the murder of health minister Naba Kishore Das, an official said on Wednesday.
The home department had earlier requested the Orissa High Court to name a judge to monitor the investigation being carried out by the crime branch of the police.
The administration had made such a request to the high court to “maintain transparency in the investigation” in the wake of a demand for an impartial inquiry into the incident, a home department official said.
“The high court suggested the state government to engage Justice (Retd) J P Das to supervise and monitor the probe,” he said.
The state government had earlier announced the crime branch inquiry into the incident immediately after the state health minister was murdered.
Das, 60, breathed his last on January 29 evening, hours after he was shot by a policeman at Gandhi Chhak in Brajrajnagar area of Jharsuguda district, where he had gone to attend an event.
Earlier, the opposition BJP had demanded a CBI probe into the incident, claiming that the “Odisha police could not deliver justice as a policeman was the prime accused in the case”.
The Congress also demanded a court-monitored special investigation team to probe into the incident or a judicial inquiry.
Meanwhile, the Odisha assembly informed the Election Commission that the Jharsuguda assembly seat fell vacant after the death of Das on Sunday.
According to norms, an assembly or Lok Sabha constituency cannot remain vacant for more than six months, the official said.
“As the election to the Odisha assembly is due next year, a by-poll to Jharsuguda seat may be held. The EC will take the final call,” he added.
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