International hockey player Birendra Lakra gets clean chit in friend's death case.

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International hockey player Birendra Lakra gets clean chit in friend's death case.

    The commissionerate police on Friday gave a clean chit to former international hockey player Birendra Lakra,who is now a police officer,for his alleged complicity in the murder of his friend Anand Toppo last year.Police said Toppo had died by suicide.

      Anand,28 of Sundergarh district was found dead at the residence of Lakra,who is DSP of Odisha Police,in infocity area of Bhubaneswar on February 28,2022.Police claimed that Anand had hung himself to death.However, Anand's father Bandhana Toppo alleged his son was murdered by Lakra and his associate, through the motive was not clear.

      "During investigation,investigating officer Arpita Priyadarshini examined relevant witnesses,complainant and verified all circumstantial evidence as well as the postmortem and viscera reports.Basing on the medico-legal reports,it is now clear that the cause of Anand's death was suicidal banging.There is no suspicion of any foul play or murder,"a senior police official said.

    Police,quoting the autopsy report,said Anand had consumed alcohol and barbiturate drugs before his death.Police eliminated suspicion of forcible administration of alcohol and drugs to Anand.

     The development assumes significance as the Odisha HC in December last year came down heavily on infocity police for the delay in registration of FIR against Lakra.Anand's father had been requesting the Infocity police to register murder case against Lakra since his son's death in February last year.However, the police booked Lakra under section 302(murder of IPC on November 24,2022,a month after Anand's father moved the high court against the alleged inaction of the Infocity police.A miffed HC in December directed the commissionerate police not in assign field posting to Samita Mishra,the then IIC of Infocity police station for a year over failure to registering an FIR against Lakra,and instead make her learn basic policing at the Biju Patnaik police academy.

    Anand's family members and lawyer said they would take their future course of action only after going through the final form submitted by the police in court.