Patna: Police are probing the death of Dipak Mandal, son of JDU MLA and former minister Bima Bharti, from all angles - murder, suicide and accident.
The cops, based on a complaint lodged by Dipak's father Awadesh Mandal, are probing the case from the murder angle. The suicide angle is being investigated on the statement of the teenager's friends that the boy was depressed after breaking up with a girl. But the police, looking at circumstantial evidence, believe it to be a case of accidental death.
A team, which includes a railway deputy superintendent of police (DSP)-rank officer and two officers from Patna police, is camping in Purnea. It has collected call record details of seven people - Shankar Singh, Chandan Singh, Santosh Mandal, Rajesh Mandal and Mukul Mandal (all from Purnea), and Dipak's friends Hrithik Roshan and Mritunjay - against whom Awadesh Mandal has lodged the FIR.
Rajendra Singh Bheel, superintendent of police (SP) (East), said: "The special investigation team (SIT) sent to Purnea has gathered some information. The team will return to Patna either on Sunday evening or on Monday morning. We can tell you the reason behind the incident after the team submits its report."
Bheel added that the police were also working on some loose ends, as Hrithik and Mritunjay have changed their statements. On Friday, the two boys told the police that Dipak had gone out of the room around 3am to fetch a packet of cigarettes. However, now they have changed the statement. The police, based on CCTV footage of the area, have come to know that Dipak had not gone alone.
Bheel said: "The police have come to know that Dipak, Hrithik, Mritunjay and Vikash had gone outside from the lodge at Bazar Samiti to get cigarettes but only Hrithik, Mritunjay and Vikash were seen returning."
The police, after seeing the video footage, have interrogated Hrithik and Mritunjay. They have recovered two empty liquor bottles from an open space adjacent to the lodge. The police have also detained the person who first informed Dipak's friend about the death after seeing the missed calls on Dipak's mobile.
