Orissa Matters

Murder of Minister: Chief Minister’s murky manners call for judicial enquiry

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is silent till now on the murder of health minister Naba Kishore Das, even though he had rushed, with unusual haste, to the private hospital, where, airlifted from Jharsuguda he was to reach for “urgent treatment”.This silence is mysterious.

How had he seen his minister in the hospital? Was he dead or alive? What treatment he had obtained in the hospital?

On Jan.29 a Police ASI had fired at him point blank at Brajarajnagar in the district of Jharsuguda and the bullet had gushed out in his back after piercing through the heart. Situation was so serious that instead of normal investigation, the Director General of Police had to issue a prompt order to the Crime Branch to investigate into the murder. A retired judge of the Orissa High Court has started superintending the investigation as per order of the Court in response to the CM’s request.

Opposition parties have been demanding for investigation through an agency beyond the boundary of Orissa, as to them, CB being a part of the Police, investigation against the police officer who pumped his bullets into the heart of the minister, may not be impartial.

We do not subscribe to this suspicion.

Investigation into unnatural deaths vests in the police.

There is nothing unusual in the Police asking its Crime Branch to investigate and report. Requisition of a sitting or retired judge to supervise the investigation is also not unusual

But to us, unusual is the Chief Minister’s stand in this case. He had rushed to the hospital with his Hanuman-like loyal secretary much ahead of the ambulance carrying the “critically injured” minister was to reach the hospital. He saw in his own eyes his “critically injured” colleague when he was collected from the ambulance by the hospital staff. The bullet had caught him full in the chest and piercing the heart had gushed out in the back inter alia rupturing the lungs.

Was he alive for so many hours? Was he really alive? Had the CM seen him alive? Medico-legal investigation into whether or not he was dead by the time the CM and his Hanuman saw him in the hospital is what really is essential.

We prefer an investigation into whether or not Naba Kishore Das was dead by the time the CM saw him in the Hospital. If he was dead, why the drama of treatment was enacted? From the medico-legal point of view, if he was dead before being airlifted from Jharsuguda, post-mortem should have been conducted in the hospital there. Under whose orders, the local police did not do it there? If he was not dead by then, he should have been taken to the Medical College at Cuttack or to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar. Under whose orders, hw was taken to the private hospital for treament? If he was alive, what treatment he received in the private hospital and exactly when he died? The answer with the post-mortem report of the Capital Hospital along with the eye-witness statement of the Chief Minister must be a must for investigation. The police ASI murdered him, how the police ASI murdered him is not important for the public. If the police ASI murdered him under instigation by some one else, determination of that some one is also not important for the public. Whether or not the Chief Minister was staging a drama through out and whether or not the people were misled for a pretty long time by that drama is what the investigation must bring out.

In order to keep himself aboveboard, the CM should promulgate a term of reference to this extent by converting the judicial supervision of the ongoing investigation to a judicial enquiry.

This being the first killing of a sitting minister in Orissa, the matter is serious.

MafiaRaj in Orissa: Naba’s Shani link needs proper investigation to find out his real killer

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

Crime Branch of Orissa Police is entrusted with investigation into the death of Health Minister Naba Kishore Das, the first ever cabinet member of Orissa to be shot at, that too by a police ASI in uniform.

Media in its entirety highlights that the Police ASI who opened fire into the chest of the Minister, has been taking psychiatric medicines for last about eight years.

The Crime Branch (CB) may look into how a man under psychiatric treatment was made to head the Police Outpost at Brajarajnagar, a known place of industry-labor tussle, with departmental gun to use when he feels it necessary. But one may feel it necessary to say that the secrecy behind Mr. Das donating a Gold-vessel worth Rs.1 crore to a temple of Shani on 21 this month needs be unveiled. As we have earlier said, offering gold worth Rs.1 crore to a Shani shrine of Maharastra was not a normal conduct of a minister.

What was the reason of this abnormality must have to be investigated into.

The State is engaged in wiping out Naxal activists, but Mafia Raj has engulfed the State during this regime, as is established in the instant case.

Orissa witnesses first ever firing on a Minister

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

Recently a non-Oriya media India Today has made a propaganda that Naveen Patnaik is the ‘most popular’ chief minister in India. At the moment, he is in the Apolo Hospital, Bhubaneswar to stand with his health minister Naba Kishore Das, airlifted in critical condition from Jharsuguda after being shot in the chest by a police ASI. This is a first ever firing on a minister in Orissa.

On January 21, Naba had donated a gold vase worth Rs.1 crore to the devilish god Shani while visiting his temple ‘Shani Shingnapur’ in Maharashtra. According to reports, he has also performed ‘Shani Abhishek’ at Shani shrines in different places in India for propitiation of the wrathful god.

This strongly suggests that he was apprehending drastic danger to his life and he might have gone to a fortune teller, who must have advised him to propitiate Shani in order to escape the approching onslaught.

That fortune teller should be captured immediately and interrogated to know from whom the State’s health minister was so acutely apprehending danger to his life.

Scotfree corruption in the name of Hockey World Cup: FIH should free itself of circuitous crime

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

It is a matter of pride for every Oriya that Orissa was allowed to host FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup-2023. But every Oriya is ashamed of the fact that scotfree corruption in the name of Hockey World Cup has severely drained the treasury of the poor State where no less than 80% of the population has been forced to digest the ignominy of thrieving on free rice, as oppressive unemployment and menacing shrinkage of sources of livelihood has ruined their power to purchase the most minimum food for survival. There would never have been Hockey World Cup in Orissa, if International Hockey Federation (FIH) had not allowed it. Hence, FIH cannot escape collateral responsibility for blatant corruption in organising the tournament.

The last World Cup was the beginning of this practice of corruption. Authorities are refusing to give details of money spent in its name . To different RTI queries, the common reply from the authorities is “the accounts of Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup-2018 has not been settled till date.”

According to Mr. Pradeep Pradhan, Chief of Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan, members of civil society have filed statutory FIR against the Chief Minister and concerned officials, which is gathering dust, instead of being investigated into. Below is the Copy of Mr. Pradhan’s communication.

FIR filed in Capital Police Station, Bhubaneswar against Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister and Mr. Vishal Dev, Secretary, Dept. of Youth Affairs and Sports , Govt. of Odisha for Huge Black-marketing of World Hockey Cup ticket in Bhubaneswar

To day on 29.11.18, Members of Civil Society Groups filed FIR against Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister and Mr. Vishal Dev, Secretary, Dept. of Youth Affairs and Sports , Govt. of Odisha for Huge Black-marketing of World Hockey Cup ticket in Bhubaneswar. Referring news carried in media about allegation by some people about black-marketing of tickets for World Hockey Cup, we have complained that cost of ticket @Rs.100 was black-marketed at the rate of Rs.1000.00 and ticket at Es.500.00 sold at Rs.4000.00.

Earlier, the State Govt. had declared that the ticket for world cup would be booked on-line. But the on-line system did not work. Many people could not book ticket on-line and were forced to book the ticket from counter at Kalinga stadium. It was also learnt that this was a big conspiracy by a few handful state officials and brokers engaged by Mr. Vishal Dev for black-marketing
the tickets to get huge benefits.

As we feel, World Hockey Cup is an international event having global importance. The people of Odisha must have craze to enjoy this global event organized in Bhubaneswar. As the expense for this programme is being borne from state exchequer, the state Govt. should make all necessary arrangements for the citizens to watch this event. But the state apparatus has used this
event as opportunity to gain benefits through illegal means i.e., blackmarketing the tickets. As we foresee, this is a multi-crore scam with involvement of corrupt officials at the instance of Vishal Dev.

It is also learnt that Vishal Dev and Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister and other government officer are involved in giving out inflated contracts for the World Hockey Games to the tune of crores of Rupees arbitrarily thereby misutilising their official positions for their private gain.The said accused persons entered into criminal conspiracies and further have managed to award to their supporters for their financial gain at the expense of state exchequer.

Corruption and the irregularities in the organization of the games are rampant , as a large amount of money was spent in these games despite the fact that Odisha has one of the world’s largest concentration of poor people. The organizing committee and the games officials were alleged for doing corruption at various levels of organization, delays in the construction of games’ venues,
infrastructural compromise, possibility of terrorist attack and many more. The organisers have appointed Loyalists in Key positions at the with due knowledge of the Chief Minister and his Private Secretary (V.K. pandian). Employees and consultants and advisors were hired on criteria other than merit.Candidates with questionable background were accommodated, especially at senior
positions with decision-making powers.The Organizing Committee kept misrepresenting a revenue neutral position to justify extravagant spending.croresof Rupees were spent on a reckless exercise of hiring celebrities and people unrelated with the Hockey sports only for pleasure and taking undue advantage in the upcoming election in 2019. In these facts and circumstances, the matter is required to be investigated into by the CBI under the Prevention of Corruption Act and under various sections of Indian Penal Code.

In the world hockey games multi crore rupees was wasted and a huge amount of public’s money was stolen by the corrupt politicians and the bureaucrats to project this a mega event where the accountability and the transparency is zeroed down.

It is learnt that Naveen pattnaik led Government, under the direct supervision of his private secretary, V.K. Pandian had appointed several consultants, who had been paid hefty amounts for consultancy and other services but they hardly did any work.We have demanded an inquiry into it and urged police to take legal action against the people involved in it. The police has received our complaint but not yet registered the case.

The complainants were Pradeep Pradhan, RTI Activist, Sanjukta Panigrahi, Biswa Keshari Mohanty, Bhadrak, Santosh Mohanty, Mayurbhanj, Sri Prakash Jena, Bhadrak and many others
Reported by
Pradeep Pradhan
M-9937843482
Date-29.11.18

Mr. Pradhan and his co-signatories to the complaint are well known campaigners against corruption in Orissa. The very fact that the details of the last World Cup played in Orissa showing justification of expenditure are not yet put before the taxpayers, despite lapse of long four years, speaks volumes of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s sharp practices against the State Treasury in association with the FIH.

The International Hochey Federation needs be treated as guilty of circuitous crime against public treasury of a sponsoring State if details of expenditure over the tournament with justification are not published by the sponsor within a month or two of the tournament, as no such tournament could ever be held without its express permission and collaboration. When FIH has granted Orissa Government the permission to use its name, it shall have to ensure transpirency in its transaction.

Acceptance of Satya Nayak’s regignation would be suicidal for the Congress in Orissa

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

The last voice of Congress in Orissa, which the people were hearing with rapt attention, may no more resound if resignation of Sri Satya Prakash Nayak is accepted by the Congress Party.

Sri Nayak, one of the finest journalists contemporary Orissa has ever seen, had left his profession to join the Congress in order only to help the people regain necessary vision to see through the reality of Naveen’s administration, which thrieves through propaganda, despite being fragrantly anti-people, shockingly incompetent, brazenly corrupt and a shrewd partner of the BJP. His activities in the Congress were compelling the people to re-address their attention to the Party that not only has helped us have our freedom from foerign yoke, but also had faught against and discarded the rotten right-wing syndicate in the Indira days.

Who am I to say in favor of Satya? I am that man, whom Mr. Rajiv Gandhi had choosen to be the Congress Candidate in place of the sitting Chief Minister J. B. Patnaik. Despite very deep political differences with Sri Patnaik, he was the doyen of journalism, who, as the Editor of Eastern Times, was my basic inspiration to prepare myself for journalism. He was a great political visionary whom Orissa could not properly use. Therefore, despite full and complete ideological differences, I had a very respectable place for Mr. J.B. Patnaik in my heart in perpetuum. Hence, I had refused to accept the Party Ticket Mr. Gandhi had not only given, but also had deputed Ms. Mamata Banerjee and Mr. Ajit Panja to help me in electioneering in Athgarh, his constituency. Somebody from within had cried against grabbing his constituency taking advantage of the situation.

Time has changed its ways many a times. But, till Communists are ready to take over, Congress Party has remained for me the only way to emancipation from political draculas discernible in the BJD and the BJP.

Therefore, I make this appeal to the Congress High Command: Never accept the resignation of Mr. Satya Prakash Nayak. Orissa needs him most in this critical political juncture when Bharat Jodo Yatra is to succeed in this soil too.

Many a sincere supporters of Congress, who were leading the students and youth in Orissa in the past, and despite brilliant political sense, are conspicuous by their absence in the present set-up of the provincial committee. The PCC should locate them eagerly and bring all of them to the forefront of the party so that the much needed environment of confidence of the general public in Congress could be cultivated with vigor and political potency.

If Orissa is to be saved, Congress is to be strengthened.

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik seems to have developed a wrong notion that governance of Orissa in Oriya depends upon his mercy. His press-note of December 17 and full page display advertisement in major broadsheets of today force us to arrive at this apprehension.

In his December 17 press note it was declared that he had held a meeting with the five members of the ministerial committee on that day for the purpose of “strictly implementing the Orissa Official Language Act, 1954 in official and non-official level” to facilitate which a website has been floated by the government. In the full page multi-color advertisement in broadsheet dailies today, this is intriguingly missing.

The advertisement is designed to tell the people that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has taken historical steps to save and develop Oriya language, and has enumerated the steps he has taken. This is blatant lie. Neither he nor his government has executed any single item claimed to be “historical” in the official advertisement. The entire advertisement is nothing but false propaganda. What a shame it is, that, the people of Orissa are taken for granted by their Chief Minister! Read more →