BHUBANESWAR: Three police personnel from Balangir were suspended on Monday after one Govinda Sahu, president of Sunshine English Medium School in Kalahandi district, escaped from Titilagarh police barrack on Sunday night.
The suspended constables are Jaya Jani and Rabindra J from Odisha Auxiliary Police Force (OAPF) and one Rakesh Biswal from Balangir police. Sahu was detained by Balangir police in connection with a teacher going missing from her school 11 days ago. The issue kicked up a controversy with BJP and Congress alleging the involvement of minister of state for home Dibya Shankar Mishra in the case.
Leader of opposition Pradipta Kumar Naik said the minister’s name is surfacing in the case. “As Govinda Sahu is an influential person and is known to Mishra, we cannot expect a fair probe into the matter. That’s why we demand a CBI probe,” he added.
Naik said Mishra should resign from his post on moral grounds. “If the minister’s name is surfacing in the case, he should not continue as a minister,” said the BJP leader. Even Kalahandi MP Basant Panda raised the same demand. Congress also demanded his resignation citing his alleged involvement in the case. Mishra said law will take its own course. “We have full faith in the system. Anybody found guilty in the case will be booked under law,” he added.
Police have started a search operation to nab Sahu. Family members of the teacher lodged an FIR with Balangir police citing the alleged involvement of Sahu in her disappearance. Later police detained the school president for interrogation.
