Berhampur, Aug. 24: The special investigation team (SIT) of Crime Branch is focusing on the role played by Paralakhemundi palace manager Ananga Manjari Patra, who allegedly committed suicide on Sunday, in the property dispute between the two brothers of the erstwhile local royal family Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo and Jagannath Narayan Deo.

Lawyer Laxmi Kant Adhikari, who had represented Gopinath Gajapati in a property dispute, today said that the cops had asked him several questions about the property dispute between Gopinath and his brother Jagannath.

He said: "The team wanted to know the case in which I had represented Gopinath Gajapati and also questioned me about the details of the property cases and the sale deeds. I was assigned to take up some cases as requested by Gopinath Gajapati and I have handed over the documents relating to these cases to the Crime Branch."

He also said that the sleuths asked him about the role of the late Ananga Manjari in the affairs of the Gajapati Palace. "But I will not divulge the details as the Crime Branch has requested me not to disclose anything related to the royal family that might hamper the probe," Adhikari said.

Earlier, the lawyer had told The Telegraph that there was an injunction by the court on sale of immovable property of the royal family since 2010. He expressed doubts if any land belonging to the family had been sold in recent past.

The SIT is also investigating into the alleged suicide of Ananga and her two brothers and one sister on August 21. The team has seized many items from the Patras' residence and have sent them for forensic analysis.

The SIT members today also interrogated a few employees working in the palace. The palace has been locked after Gopinath Gajapati was shifted to a hospital in Chennai for treatment on August 14. The police are now guarding the palace and the keys of the main gate are also with them. One of the 10 employees of the Gajapati Palace, Bijaya Patra said: "I expressed my ignorance about the happenings in the palace to the investigators."

The sleuths today also interrogated Amulya Patra, the elder brother of Ananga, who had lodged an FIR against six political leaders and a private television channel. "They questioned me for nearly an hour and wanted to known the circumstances leading to the death of my two sisters and two brothers. I have explained to them in detail about the role of these leaders and the TV channel in orchestrating campaigns against our family which resulted in four of them committing suicide. They were mentally depressed because of the campaign."

Paralakhemundi MLA K. Surya Rao, who has been accused of launching the "campaign of misinformation" against the Patra family, said that if the Crime Branch wanted to interrogate him, he would co-operate with them. "I have never conspired against anyone," Surya Rao said.