What the Chief Minister Said in the Legislative Assembly
Honourable Speaker Sir,
The death of Odisha’s former Cabinet Minister and esteemed member of this House, Naba Kishore Das, is a matter of immense grief and sorrow for all of us. As we gather here in this House, we not only pray for the eternal peace of the departed soul but also extend our deepest condolences to his bereaved family.
With his demise, Odisha—especially Western Odisha—has lost a progressive leader who dedicated himself to the region’s development and was a beloved colleague of ours.
On 29th January 2023 at 12:35 PM, a Sub-Inspector of Police named Gopal Das fired shots at the then Health Minister Naba Kishore Das. He used his service pistol to commit the act. Despite our best efforts, we could not save the life of Shri Naba Kishore Das.
Given the highly sensitive nature of the incident, the responsibility for investigating the case was immediately assigned to the Crime Branch. To ensure transparency, my government requested the Honourable High Court to appoint a sitting or retired judge to supervise the investigation. The Honourable High Court accordingly appointed Retired Justice J.P. Das to oversee the investigation.
The Crime Branch was instructed to carry out a detailed and scientific investigation. To support the probe, help was taken from the country’s top forensic experts. The State Forensic Science Laboratory, the Central Forensic Laboratory in New Delhi, and the Forensic Laboratory in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, have all assisted in the investigation.
Based on witness statements and interrogation of the accused, the mental condition of Gopal Das was evaluated by a four-member panel of psychiatric specialists. Additionally, forensic psychological assessment and Layered Voice Analysis Test were conducted at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in New Delhi to determine whether the accused was speaking the truth or attempting deception.
To extract further information and uncover the truth, a Narco Analysis Test was conducted by experts at the Gujarat State Forensic Science Laboratory. Every possible measure has been taken, and consultations with top experts are ongoing.
The State Crime Branch is also making efforts to involve the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States, particularly its Behavioral Support Unit, for behavioral analysis of the accused. For this, the Odisha Government has sought the assistance of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
I want to reaffirm before this House that we are committed to ensuring a completely fair, unbiased, and thorough investigation, taking help from renowned forensic experts from both India and abroad.
However, it is deeply unfortunate that despite the sensitivity of this tragic incident, some individuals have chosen to politicize it. This is not only painful to me personally, but to all the people of Odisha. The baseless and malicious allegations being levelled are extremely regrettable.
An independent judiciary is one of the strongest pillars of our democracy. The moment the High Court appointed a retired judge to oversee the case, the police investigation has been conducted entirely under judicial supervision. In such circumstances, is there any need to politicize the issue? Is there any justification in making baseless allegations?
We must respect and trust our independent judicial system.
India is a proud democracy of 75 years. Odisha has a rich and mature political culture. Yet, the kind of political discourse this sensitive criminal case has generated is a matter of concern. Politicizing such a sensitive incident is unhealthy for our democracy.
I am personally disturbed that the accused in this heinous crime is a police officer. He has been immediately suspended, and all legal steps are being taken to ensure he faces justice.
Unfortunately, some leaders—particularly from the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—have made unwarranted and disrespectful comments about the Odisha Police, which is truly unfortunate. I regret that the opposition, especially the BJP, seems more interested in politicizing this incident than addressing the crime itself. Odisha Police, which has brought pride to the state, is having its morale unfairly attacked.
In the past, such unfortunate incidents have also occurred in the armed forces and central paramilitary forces. But never has the entire force been blamed for the actions of a single individual. Our country has always stood by its brave soldiers. Sadly, the BJP in Odisha is attempting to tarnish the image of the entire police force through one such incident.
This is an insult to the 90,000 Odia youth—men and women—working in the State Police and Fire Services, as well as to their families. These personnel tirelessly protect the lives and property of our people and have bravely fought against left-wing extremism for decades. Disrespecting them is a display of insensitivity and political opportunism.
Members of our police and fire services have risked their lives during natural disasters and have saved countless lives. I am proud of their exemplary work across Odisha and other parts of the country. As a mature democracy, we should not malign or depict essential institutions of governance in a negative light.
It is utterly condemnable and indecent that a person holding a high constitutional position attacked a female police officer. Odisha has always held women in high regard, and such disgraceful behavior will never be forgiven by its people.
There are many issues on which we may disagree and debate—but politicizing a sensitive criminal case is unacceptable. My government’s sole aim is to bring the culprit to justice and ensure they are punished to the fullest extent of the law.
The people of Odisha have repeatedly shown faith in me, entrusted me with responsibility, and I will continue to work without fear or favor to uphold their trust.
Once again, I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved family of Naba Kishore Das. ।
