ACF Soumya Ranjan death case: NBW issued against wife, former Gajapati DFO and cook  

Paralakhemundi: In a new twist to the mysterious and much-debated death case of Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Soumya Ranjan, Paralakhemundi Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) court today reportedly issued Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) against his wife Bidya Bharati Panda, former Gajapati DFO Sangram Keshari Behera and cook Manmath Kumbha to appear before the court.

The Paralakhemundi SDJM court issued the NBW against them as they did not appear before it. The court had asked them to appear before it on April 27 after the deceased ACF’s father Abhiram Mohapatra filed a petition on ‘laxity in probe’ into Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra death alleging it as a murder case.

While issuing the NBW against Bidya Bharati Panda, Sangram Keshari Behera and Manmath Kumbha, the court has asked the trio to appear before it on or before July 7.

Notably, the ACF died on July 12, 2021 while undergoing treatment at a private hospital, a day after he mysteriously sustained critical burn injuries at his Paralakhemundi quarters on July 11.

Later, Soumya Ranjan’s family members had filed a case at Paralakhemundi alleging that he was murdered by Bidya Bharati Panda, Sangram Keshari Behera and Manmath Kumbha. They also had claimed that there was extramarital affair between the DFO and Bidya Bharati.

Taking a serious note of the incident, the Odisha government on August 14, 2021 handed over the case to the Crime Branch, which on October 8, 2021 gave clean chit to the then DFO and the cook, but booked his Bidya Bharati under sections 304-A (causing death by negligence) and 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) of IPC.