BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha police on Friday revealed that Parala king Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deb had sought deployment of armed security personnel at the palace over life threat to him. This revelation has seemingly lent credence to the conspiracy theory where four siblings, including the former manager of the royal scion, allegedly committed suicide last week. Inspector General of Police (Southern Range) Amitabh Thakur said the king had petitioned the Gajapati Superintendent of Police a few months ago to provide security to him as he apprehended threat to his life.
The SP, however, did not elaborate as to from whom the king had perceived the threat to his life. “We have collected information from Gajapati police that the king had written a letter requesting the then SP to provide protection citing threat to his life. Based on the letter, the SP had provided round-the-clock armed security at the palace. The security men were on duty since last few months. Armed Police Reserve (APR) personnel were on the location round-the-clock,” IG Mr Thakur said.
Prior to the quadruple deaths, several political leaders and members of local citizens’ forum had alleged that the king was under house arrest and the constituents were prevented from meeting him. The senior mandarin, however, negated the house arrest angle. “The SP, collector, and sub-collector have already clarified that the king was not under house arrest. The king is undergoing treatment at a Chennai-based private hospital. He can only clear the air on why he apprehended that he had a threat to life,” he added.
The Paralakhemundi police found three bodies and rescued another from the house of the former manager of Maharaja on the day when the local police began to probe into the alleged financial misappropriation of the king’s properties. While the decomposed bodies of former manager Ananga Manjari Patra and her siblings— Sanjay and Bijaylaxmi—were recovered from their house on last Sunday (August 21), Santosh was rescued in a critical condition, who succumbed at MKCG Medical College and Hospital the following day.
In another development, the autopsy report for the four siblings came on Thursday evening. The report said three of the siblings died due to poisoning while one person died of asphyxiation. Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Odisha Crime Branch, which is probing into the mysterious deaths of Parala Maharaja’s former manager Anang Manjari Patra and her three siblings, on Friday questioned king’s daughter Kalyani Devi. According to sources, the team quizzed Kalyani Devi at a lodge in Purunapatna area. The SIT reportedly sought information from Kalyani regarding Maharaja’s properties.
