The Orissa High Court has declined to grant interim protection from arrest to Bidya Bharati Panda, wife of the deceased Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra, while hearing her anticipatory bail plea in connection with the high-profile death case.
The High Court also directed the investigating agency to produce the case diary and posted the matter for hearing in the first week after the court vacation.
Bidya Bharati had moved the High Court seeking anticipatory bail. Earlier, she had challenged the criminal proceedings initiated against her in connection with her husband’s death.
The latest development follows the dismissal of her petition by the Supreme Court, where she had challenged the Orissa High Court’s earlier orders refusing to quash the criminal proceedings and denying protection from arrest.
Background of the Case
The case relates to the mysterious death of ACF Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra, who was posted at Paralakhemundi in Odisha’s Gajapati district. On July 11, 2021, he suffered nearly 80 per cent burn injuries at his official residence under circumstances that remain under investigation.
He was initially admitted to a hospital in Cuttack for treatment but later succumbed to his injuries.
On July 14, 2021, Soumya Ranjan’s family lodged a complaint alleging murder and named his wife Bidya Bharati Panda, then Gajapati Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sangram Keshari Behera, and cook Manmath Kumbha as accused.
Considering the sensitivity and public attention surrounding the case, the Odisha government transferred the probe to the Crime Branch in August 2021.
The investigation into the ACF’s death continues, with the High Court set to examine the case further after the court vacation.
