ASI Gopal Who killed Odisha Health Minister has won 18 Medals in his 28 years of Police service
The cop earned 12 good service marks and was given cash award eight times in his career
Assistant Sub-inspector of Police (ASI) Gopal Das, the cop who allegedly killed Odisha Health Minister Naba Kisore Das, has several accolades to his name during his 28 years of service.
Gopal’s service book reveals he was a good cop who won 18 medals for investigation. After joining as Havildar, he was subsequently promoted to the rank of Assistant Sub-inspector of Police (ASI) in October 2009.
The cop earned 12 good service marks and was given cash award eight times in his career. He has been serving as an ASI at Gandhi Chowk police outpost for last two years. However, Gopal was punished only once with a minor punishment.
His wife Jayanti Das claimed that the cop was suffering from mental illness and his service book does not make any mention about it.
“He was serving in Jharsuguda for the last 12-13 years. He has no dispute with anyone. He did a video call with daughter and asked about me on Sunday. We have kept all the medical prescription regarding his illness. We will fully cooperate with Crime Branch,” she said.
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Former Police Officer Suryamani Tripathy said there is no provision for time to time medical examination of police personnel in police manual. “But when a police personnel and report to the authority, medical facilities would have extended to him. In this way though the physical declared that he is suffering from mental illness. This fact was not informed to higher authority. He and his family members also ignored it,” he said.
Naba Kisore Das was shot at allegedly by ASI Gopal Das in Brajrajnagar town in Jharsuguda when the minister, who was on his way to attend a programme in the district, had alighted from the car to greet people. He succumbed to his injuries at Apollo Hospital, Bhubaneswar.
He is a very influential leader from Jharsuguda. He joined the BJD a few years ago after dumping the Congress. He was among the newly appointed ministers who took oath in June, 2022 after CM Naveen Patnaik’s decided to revamp his cabinet.
Brajarajnagar IIC Pradyumna Kumar Swain has lodged an FIR in this connection. Swain has stated that ASI Gopal Das of Gandhi Chowk Police Outpost, who was deployed for Traffic Clearance Duty for the minister’s programme. He came close to Naba kisore Das and opened fire from his service pistol from a very close range aiming at the minister with a clear intention to kill him.