Odisha health minister Naba Kishore Das, 61, was critically injured on Sunday after he was shot at from a close range by a police officer at Brajarajnagar in Jharsuguda district. The minister has been airlifted to Bhubaneswar where he is undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who condemned the ghastly attack, visited the hospital and discussed with doctors about Das’ health condition. The chief minister has also ordered a crime branch enquiry into the incident.
The accused cop, identified as assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Gopal Das, has been arrested and is being interrogated, according to sub-divisional police officer Gupteswar Bhoi.
Police said the ASI fired at Das from point blank at Gandhi Chowk while the minister was getting out of his car to attend an event. The assailant was in-charge of Gandhi Chowk police outpost.
While the reason for the firing was not immediately known, it is being said that the ASI was under depression for quite some time. His wife Jayanti, who lives in Berhampur in south Odisha, told media that her husband has been taking medicine for mental health issues for the last seven years. She also claimed that he misses his regular medicines at times.
“I don't not know whether minister Naba Das had any enmity with him. I have never heard anything about the minister from my husband. After hearing the incident, I was shocked and numbed,” she said.
Jayanti claimed that she had talked to her husband over phone yesterday and he had made a video call to their daughter earlier today. She said she didn't feel anything unusual in his conversations.
Gopal's son also claimed that his father's health condition was not good and he was not granted leave by authorities for medical consultation.
SDPO Bhoi said the bullets hit at the left side of the minister's chest. Das was rushed to the district hospital from where he was taken to Jharsuguda airport to be airlifted to Bhubaneswar, along with a medical team and life support system.
In Bhubaneswar, the police had set up a green corridor from airport to the hospital for a hassle-free movement of the ambulance. According to a press release, a team of specialist doctors, drawn from Apollo Hospitals, SCB Medical College and the Capital Hospital, is treating the minister.
“I am shocked at the unfortunate incident of attack on the Honourable Minister Naba Das. I strongly condemn the attack on him. I pray for his early recovery,” Chief Minister Patnaik said in a statement.
Brajarajnagar is the headquarters of Ib Valley collieries and the place is also known for crimes related to coal business. Initially, suspicion arose that the attack on minister might be related to that.
Das, who represents Jharsuguda assembly constituency, was in the Congress for a long time before joining the BJD. In 2019, he became a cabinet minister in charge of health and family welfare. Recently, he was in the news for offering a gold pot worth Rs 1 crore at famous Shani Signapur temple in Nasik district of Maharashtra.
