 |
| Raja Acharya and (top) Biranchi Das. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee |
Bhubaneswar, Aug. 2: Raja Acharya, the prime accused in the murder of judo coach Biranchi Das, today denied his involvement in the crime.
“I am in no way involved in this murder. I have been made a scapegoat,” said Raja in his statement before the fast-track court-3.
Biranchi, who used to run the Judo Association of Orissa, and had shot to fame for coaching child marathon runner Budhia, was killed on April 13, 2008. He was shot dead in front of the judo hall in the capital. Three people - Raja Acharya, Akhya Behera alias Chagala and Tukuna - were later arrested in connection with this case of murder.
After examining 29 witnesses, Raja was produced before the fast-track court today for recording his statements. Magistrate Bibekananda Das asked him 93 questions regarding the murder.
Biranchi pledged his innocence, and alleged that he had been implicated in the case by a senior IAS officer. He also denied his involvements in other charges that were brought against him, including the charges of threatening album actress Lesli Tripathi and Bidusmita.
He claimed that he did not know the two of them and he saw them for the first time in the court.
“I did not know Lesli Tripathi, Bidusmita and her brother Jubuli Sundaray. I have been made a scapegoat in this case also. I was in Goa when Biranchi was shot dead. I read in a newspaper that I had been named as the prime accused in this murder case. So I surrendered before the Panaji police on May 5, 2008,” Raja said in his statement.
Lesli and Bidusmita had earlier alleged that Raja threatened them over telephone and asked them not to provide any evidence against him in the court.
The hearing of the case started in June 2008, and 29 witnesses were examined in the last two years. In between, the police recovered an audio CD in which Raja had allegedly threatened Bidusmita and her brother Jubilee Sundarray.
“In his statement Raja said that he had not sent any CD threatening Bidusmita and Jubilee. The police had forcibly recorded his voice in Bolangir Jail,” said defense counsel, Sudesh Kumar Das.
Akhya Behera, another accused in this murder case, would be produced before the court tomorrow.