Bhubaneswar, Feb. 23: The war of words between the former director general of police (DGO) Sanjeev Marik and former inspector general of police (IGP) Anadi Sahu took a new turn with the state police administration today transferring the stenographer of Marik to Koraput for allegedly meeting the Dhal Samants when they were being produced before a court last week.
Ravindra Sethi, who was posted at the police headquarters, was shifted today to the Human Protection Cell Office of the south-western range in Koraput. DGP K.B. Singh said: "The officer was shifted as his work was unsatisfactory. Sethi had been working at the same place for the last 10 to 12 years."
It has been alleged that when the Dhal brothers were produced in a Cuttack court, Sethi had visited the court premises. This was confirmed by Sethi himself though he vehemently denied being close to the gangsters. "I had gone to the market near the high court when I saw heavy police deployment near the SDJM's court. Out of curiosity I went to the court premises but did not speak a word to either of the brothers," Sethi said.
Sethi told The Telegraph that he had met the brothers in Cuttack when they were high school students. "We met at a playground of Cuttack. All other allegations levelled against me are baseless," he said.
Sethi had been associated with Marik since 2012 and worked as Marik's personal assistant till his retirement.
Former IG of police Anadi Sahu alleged that Ravindra Sethi had acted as the middleman between Marik and the Dhal Samant brothers and demanded that their nexus be thoroughly investigated.
In a related development, the Cuttack SDJM court has allowed the police to take the arrested gangster siblings Sushant and Sushil Dhal Samant on remand for interrogation in connection with their alleged involvement in kidnapping and murder.
In another development, the state government today effected a major rejig at the senior IPS level. It gave additional DGP, headquarters, Satyajit Mohanty the additional responsibility of ADG, law and order.
