KalingaTimes Correspondent
Bhubaneswar, May 6: As the controversy over the alleged officer-criminal nexus was thickening in Orissa in the wake of the murder of Judo coach Biranchi Das, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday hinted that Police Commissioner for the twin-city of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Binay Behera would come under the Lok Pal probe on the issue.

Replying to a query with regard to a newspaper report in which Raja Acharya, prime accused in the murder case, was quoted saying that Behera had attended a meeting where he was present, the Chief Minister said the officer-criminal nexus issue was being probed by the Lok Pal of the State and stringent action would be taken against whoever would be found guilty.

Meanwhile, Behera reacted to the allegations that contained in the newspaper report terming the same as baseless.

“I have never met Raja Acharya in my life,” Behera told reporters here, while adding that he had also never met the deceased coach, and had seen his body after the murder.

Interestingly, within hours after the accused surrendered before the Goa police on Monday, the Commissioner had also apprehension that the accused was likely to take the names of some persons with a motive to sensationalise the whole case.

It may be recalled that it was Behera himself who had first mentioned about the alleged officer-criminal nexus before the media a few days after the Judo coach was shot dead in the city.

Expressing apprehension that some police officials were having links with Raja Acharya who was on the run since the murder took place on April 13 evening, Behera had also gone to the extent of saying that if any policeman was found having links with the accused would be treated as criminal.

Meanwhile, police sources said that the three-member police team that had gone to Goa had obtained five days' transit remand for the accused to bring him to Bhubaneswar.

The police team, along with the accused, was likely to reach the city on Wednesday.