By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Dr Arun Sahoo , the name is enough, right from winning the President post of Utkal University Students Union defeating present Union PNG-Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to head the ruling Biju Janata BJD’s frontal , Students and Youth Wings till he tested his political acumen from the prestigious Nayagarh Assembly segment, becoming successful Cabinet Colleague of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the Odisha Higher Education and Agriculture Minister, always maintain a very low profile and enjoying working with his people of Nayagarh.
As a popular Minister and leader of Nayagarh, Dr Sahoo is 24 hour reachable to all most all and working round the clock in Bhubaneswar and in his area and executing all welfare projects of the State Government. Like every day, he got calls from his constituents and that particular day, he had received a call from a local Sarapanch to know about their problems , what’s wrong in it.
A close friend of Minister Dr Sahoo, who studied with him at Vani Vihar, expressed surprise after Congress and BJP leaders mounted pressure for his resignation over the kidnapping and murder of a minor girl. “ Even though we studied together at Vani Vihar but we are in different profession but Arun is really loving and sober , its stunning that media instead looking into truth and glorifying false claims of BJP and Congress,” he said requesting not to be named. A photo that gone viral in social media speaks a lot about a larger conspiracy against an able and sober Minister like Dr Sahoo, sources said.
The girl child went missing while playing in front of her house on July 14. Later on July 23, her decomposed body was found stuffed in a sack behind a house near a pond. Her parents alleged that Nayak had kidnapped and murdered their daughter. The Sadar police registered a case under Sections 363, 364, 302, and 201 of the IPC on the basis of a complaint lodged by the minor girl’s parents.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the kidnapping and murder of a five-year-old girl in the Nayagarh district. Participating in Odisha Legislative Assembly proceedings through a video-link, Patnaik expressed his deep sadness over the incident and said that the State Government will always stand for the Rule of Law.”If SIT investigation is what is required, the State Government will take steps in this regard and do it immediately,” Patnaik announced in the House.
Patnaik also said “I request all the members to cooperate and participate”.Earlier State Government had ordered the Crime Branch (CBCID) Investigation on the murder case. CB began the Investigation at Nayagarh Sadar police station.The kidnapping and murder case came to the limelight after the girl’s parents attempted self-immolation, pouring kerosene, in front of the State Legislative Assembly main gate recently.
Earlier, Minister Dr Sahoo had appealed to Oppositions Congress and BJP to not politicise the issue and assured that the minor girl’s family will get justice as the under investigation.The deceased girl’s father Ashok Sahoo and mother Saudamini on November 24 attempted self-immolation outside the Odisha Legislative Assembly demanding justice for their daughter. Alleging police inaction in the case, the couple accused the Agriculture of shielding Babuli Nayak, the accused in the murder case. They claimed that Nayak is a close aide of the Nayagarh MLA.
Meanwhile, voluntary organisation Bharat Bikash Parishad’s State president Surendra Panigrahi had also filed a Public interest Litigation (PIL) in the Orissa High Court seeking a (Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the murder of five-year-old Pari of Jadupur village in Nayagarh district.The petitioner also sought a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the deceased’s family. The State Government and the Nayagarh district administration have been made parties in the PIL.
