Orissa High Court orders CID probe into constable's death

The Orissa High Court has ordered the Crime Branch-CID to take over the investigation into the death of Ashutosh Mrudangia, a 31-year-old Odisha Motor Vehicle Department constable. The court's decision follows a petition by the victim's sister, Nibedita Devi, who raised concerns regarding the fairness of the initial police probe.

Mrudangia suffered approximately 80 per cent burn injuries during an incident on June 5 near his wife's government quarters in a police colony. He died while undergoing treatment on June 12. While police initially suspected self-immolation, Mrudangia reportedly made two dying declarations in the presence of a magistrate, in which he named his wife—a woman constable—and his brother-in-law as being involved in the attack.

The court expressed dissatisfaction with the progress of the investigation, noting that despite the dying declarations, no arrests had been made. The Berhampur Town police have been directed to immediately hand over all relevant records to the CID-Crime Branch for further legal action.