‘Police Completed Investigation In Hush Hush Manner’: Orissa High Court Orders Crime Branch To Probe RTI Activist's 'Murder'

“It transpires that the police has not given the proper thought to the video clips and the culprits therein. Indeed, the police has completed the investigation in a hush hush manner without bringing all angles to the ambit of investigation.”

Ranjan Kumar Das, a 35-year-old RTI activist was found dead in 2020 in a field. The police said that Das died after falling from his bike in an accident. However, his father challenged the police claim and said he suspects some foul-play in the death of his son, who was well-known for unearthing several sensitive information involving influential persons.

Therefore, he approached the High Court with a prayer to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or else, to order any impartial agency to take over for conducting a fresh independent inquiry.

The Court went through the video clip contained in a pen-drive attached to the case file and said police has not conducted a proper probe in the case.

“In such view of the matter, this Court directs that the matter be handed over the Crime Branch for a de novo inquiry regarding the death of son of petitioner no.1. The present I.O. is directed to hand over the charge of the investigation to the Crime Branch forthwith, which is directed to complete the investigation as early as possible, preferably within a period of three months from the date of taking over,” the court said.

Case Title: Lakshmidhar Das @ Laxmidhar Das & Anr. v. State of Odisha & Ors.

Case No.: CRLMP No. 1128 of 2020

Order Dated: 18^th January 2023

Coram: Dr. S.K. Panigrahi, J.

Counsel for the Petitioners: Mr. S.K. Mohanty, Advocate

Counsel for the Respondents: Mr. D. Mund, Addl. Government Advocate

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