Police Commissioner shifted:Raja sent to five day police remand

Bhubaneswar, May 7 (UNI) The Orissa government today transferred Police Commissioner Binaya Kumar Behera and appointed IG (Crime) Bijaya Sharma in his place while Gangster Raja Acharaya, prime accused in the Budhia Coach Biranchi Das murder case, was remanded to five days police custody for further interrogation.

Sandeep Acharya, alias Raja, was arrested in Goa on May 5 and brought to Bhubaneswar on a transit remand by a special five-member police team.

The gangster, who has been absconding ever since coach Biranchi Das was shot dead on April 13 before the Judo Association Hall here, was taken to a police station from the airport and later produced before the Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate Court here for further remand.

The police sought 10 days remand to interrogate him and recover the arms used in the murder but SDJM Arun Kumar Sahu granted only five days police remand after the defence lawyer opposed it.

The five-member police team, headed by Additional Commissioner of Police Y B Khurania, would now interrogate Raja in connection with the sensational murder case which has exposed the alleged nexus between the officials and the criminals in the state.

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner B K Behera who was personally supervising the investigation of the murder case was today shifted from his post after media reported his link with the gangster to which the Commissioner had already denied.

Inspector General(Crime) Bijaya Kumar Sharma has succeeded Mr Behera while Inspector General(North) S K Panwar has been appointed as the new IG(Crime). Inspector General(West) Pranabandhu Acharaya has been given the additional charge of the IG(North) in place of Mr Panwar.

The police had earlier arrested Chagala, a co-accused and close associate of Raja from Bhopal, and took him on police remand for interrogation.

The government had stripped off all the responsibility of senior IAS officer Priyabrata Pattnaik after his name cropped up during the interrogation of Chagala who admitted the involvement of Raja Acharaya in the murder case.

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