Naba Das Murder: Jharsuguda Court Rejected Petition Seeking Gopal Das’s Mental Health

The Jharsuguda Addition Sessions Court recently rejected the Odisha crime branch’s petition seeking to re-examine the mental health assessment of Gopal Das in NIMHANS Bangalore.

Gopal Das is the prime accused in the murder of former Odisha health minister Naba Das.

The Crime Branch has filed the review petition seeking permission for a further comprehensive psychological, psychometrical and mental evaluation of Gopal Das.

The petition was earlier rejected by the Jharsuguda JMFC-1 court on February 19. After that, the crime branch filed a revision petition before the district judge’s court. The district judge then transferred the same to ADJ court.

Last month the Odisha high court recorded the statement of prime accused Gopal Das. The accused was therefore produced before the court where his statement was recorded under Section 164 of CrPC.
The Odisha High Court had also quashed a public interest Litigation (PIL) which was seeking a CBI probe in the Naba das murder case.

Earlier in the Odisha state assembly during the zero-hour session Congress legislator Tara Prasad Bahinipathi stated that the crime branch is clueless about the matter.

The Congress MLA from the Jeypore constituency Tara Prasad Bahinipati levelled serious allegations by terming Naba Das’s killing as a ‘planned murder.’

He stated that people are not happy with ongoing investigation by the state crime branch and they are more worried about his mental health.

Naba Das was shot by Odisha Police ASI Gopal Das from point-blank range in Brajrajnagar of the Jharsuguda district and succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment in the state’s capital. Gopal Das was arrested on January 30 by the Odisha Police.

The Former Health minister Naba Das was a three-time MLA from the Jharsuguda constituency in Odisha.