Avinash Patnaik's father suspects foul play in murder case

BHUBANESWAR: The macabre case of the murder of a young model's mother and her uncle allegedly by her male friend before he committed suicide in Mumbai took a new turn with the alleged killer's father suspecting foul play.

The father of the youth claimed here that his son Avinash Patnaik was killed under 'mysterious' circumstances.

Bhupen Patnaik, who returned from Mumbai after the funeral of his son, said on Sunday that the police theory of Avinash killing the mother and uncle of 23-year-old Moushumi 'Moon' Das before shooting himself at the New Link Garden building in suburban Andheri's Yamuna Nagar last Friday was unacceptable to him.

Describing his son's death as 'very strange', he alleged that Avinash was 'trapped and murdered'.

Patnaik, who worked as a superintending engineer, said he had reasons to suspect the police version that Avinash killed two persons and committed suicide.

"The bullet that killed Avinash was shot through his left temple whereas he was a right-hander," he said.

Patnaik said his son had no reason to commit suicide because he was doing excellently well in business. "A fashionable and jolly person cannot commit such a crime as described in public," said Patnaik as tears welled in his eyes.

He said he did not lodge any complaint in this regard in Mumbai because of 'obvious' reasons but did not elaborate.

"I have lost everything, a young son who was doing well. What is left for me", Patnaik said, adding that the family would later decide what to do on the issue.