Anand Toppo death case: Police give clean chit Birendra Lakra
Former international hockey player Birendra Lakra was relieved on Friday when the Twin City Commissionerate Police said the investigation into the death of his childhood friend Anand Toppo proved beyond doubt that it was a suicide.
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Bhubaneswar: Former international hockey player Birendra Lakra was relieved on Friday when the Twin City Commissionerate Police said the investigation into the death of his childhood friend Anand Toppo proved beyond doubt that it was a suicide.
Police gave the hockey player, who was an accused in the case, a clean chit, saying that available evidence and medical reports pointed to suicidal hanging as the cause of death and that there was no suspicion of foul play. "The injuries found on the neck of the deceased could be antemortem in nature and suicidal in nature.
The victim, however, had consumed alcohol and barbiturates prior to his death, and the cause of death was hanging and its complications. As a result, the possibility of forcible administration of alcohol and drugs is ruled out in this case," according to a press release.
Birendra called Anand's father, Bandhan Toppo, on February 28 last year and told him that Anand had been found unconscious in his Bhubaneswar flat and that he (Birendra) was taking him to the hospital. When Bandhan arrived in Bhubaneswar from Rourkela the next day, he was informed that Anand had committed suicide. Anand's body was found with no suicide note and injury marks. Bandhan suspected foul play and claimed Bindra was involved in his son's death.
He also blamed another woman, Manjeet Tete, for his son's death.
He approached the Orissa High Court in October of last year after his repeated requests to the police to file a FIR were denied. He accused Bhubaneswar police of shielding Birendra, who is a DSP, and requested that the case be investigated by Crime Branch or any other independent investigating agency.
After Bandhan approached the court, a FIR was registered against the former hockey star at Infocity police station on November 24. The HC also directed the Bhubaneswar DCP to personally monitor the investigation while keeping all influences at bay and submit the final report within three months, viewing such inaction by the police as an attempt to protect the accused.
