Odisha CM Urged For Reinvestigation Into Gobind Sahu's 'Death By Suicide' In Prison

Bhubaneswar: Wife and daughter of Gobind Sahu, the prime accused in murder of a woman teacher Mamita Meher, on Sunday urged Chief Minister Mohan Majhi for a reinvestigation into his alleged death by suicide.

During the meeting with the CM at his official residence, they expressed serious doubts over Sahu’s alleged suicide and submitted a memorandum, demanding a thorough probe to unravel the truth behind his death.

In 2021, the woman teacher’s murder had triggered huge political controversy as the accused was alleged to have close links with Dibya Shankar Mishra, former Minister of State for Home.

Sahu was the promoter of Sunshine English Medium School, at Mahaling in Kalahandi district, where Mamita worked as a teacher. A resident of Jharni village in Balangir’s Turekela block, she went missing on October 8, 2021 and her decomposed body was recovered from an under-construction stadium on the school premises 11 days later. Sahu, who had earlier managed to escape from Titlagarh police barracks where he was lodged for interrogation, was arrested the same day her body was recovered.

It was alleged that Mamita was strangled to death and Sahu later chopped her body into pieces and burned it before burying. He also allegedly burned her mobile phone, bag and other belongings to destroy evidence.

In a 2000-page chargesheet, Balangir police named Sahu and his driver Radhe Shyam Chandi as the two accused in the sensational murder. Ten witnesses were also examined by the prosecution.

On December 22, 2022, Sahu was found hanging from the prison’s kitchen window at Kantabanji sub-jail in Balangir district hours before he was scheduled to appear in the court of the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC).

Sahu’s family has since alleged that he was murdered and has been pressing for a fresh probe to uncover the truth.