Odisha: Six of a family attempt self-immolation outside CM's residence to protest against kin's murder

A family tried to set themselves on fire outside chief minister Naveen Patnaik's residence in Bhubaneshwar to protest against police inaction in their 16-year-old son's murder case. The murder took place in 2022 and the police arrested one of the accused on August 15, 2023. The remaining accused are yet to be arrested.

Bhubaneswar:Six members of a family reportedly attempted self-immolation in front of Naveen Niwas, the residence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in Bhubaneshwar on Thursday protesting against police inaction in a case pertaining to the murder of their son.

According to sources, the family members tried to immolate themselves in the presence of security personnel demanding justice for their deceased son. The incident disrupted vehicular traffic on the busy road at Palaspalli area for sometime.

As per reports, Daityaraj Nayak, aged 16 was killed in Chandrasekharpur police station area in Bhubaneswar in 2022. The family filed an FIR but it was alleged that the police did not take any action against the accused. The family staged several demonstrations and protests following which, police nabbed one of the accused, Ashok Jena on August 15, 2023. However, the family complained that the other accused are yet to be arrested.

A family member said that despite several requests they have not received justice. "Police have failed to book all the accused. Only one has been arrested till now. The accused are roaming around freely. We are being attacked by the accused and living in fear. Despite all this, the police have not arrested them," said the family member.

They also alleged that the accused are involved in the trading of drugs. "We have tried to take up the matter with all officers, including the Police Commissioner but we failed to get any result. So, we have come here to seek justice from the chief minister," another family member said.