Three members of a family including former manager as well as personal assistant of former MP and scion of erstwhile Paralakhemundi royal family of Odisha, Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Dev, were found to have committed suicide under mysterious circumstances inside their locked-up house on Sunday afternoon.
The deceased were identified as former manager Anangmanjari Patra, Sanjay Patra, her brother and personal assistant of Mr Dev and her younger sister, Bijaylaxmi Patra. Speaking to The Hindu , Inspector General of Police (IGP), Southern Range, Amitabh Thakur said initial evidences hint that it was a case of mass suicide attempt. Sanjay was found in hanging, while Anangmanjari and Bijaylaxmi were suspected to have consumed poison, he said. Santosh Patra, another brother of Anangmanjari was located from the same house in serious condition. Santosh was also suspected to have consumed poison. He is being shifted to MKCG medical college and hospital in Berhampur for treatment. “His would unravel the reason behind this suspected mass suicide, said Mr. Thakur.
Severe foul smell
On Sunday afternoon, following complaint of severe foul odour, the police in the presence of magistrate had broke open the locked house of Anangmanjari at Jangama street of Paralakhemundi town. While Sanjay was found hanging in the drawing room of the house, Anangmanjari and her sister Bijaylaxmi were found dead in another room while Santosh was located in critical condition.
During past few weeks the family was under duress due to public outcry over alleged house arrest of Mr. Dev and financial misappropriation by the manager and personal assistant. Mr Dev’s daughter Kalyani Gajapati and his brother Jagannath Gajapati Narayan Dev had written to the Odisha CM seeking probe into alleged misappropriation of their family property during past three decades. On August 14, residents of Paralakhemundi had staged a demonstration demanding treatment of the ailing king and probe into alleged financial irregularities. Enraged public had found Mr. Dev in extreme serious condition as he was unable to walk or talk. Meanwhile, Mr. Dev has been shifted to Chennai for treatment and the Odisha government has taken charge of his treatment. Anangmanjari and her brother Sanjay had resigned from their posts of manager and personal assistant of Mr. Dev.
Meanwhile, family members of deceased Anangmanjari have alleged that media trial by some particular electronic media as well as tirade against them by some political leaders of Paralakhemundi was reason behind “the mass suicide.
