The rape and murder of a girl in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district in January this year rocked the state Legislative Assembly today.
Congress and other opposition MLAs staged a walkout in the House demanding a CBI probe into the case and compensation to the kin of the victim.
Besides, three opposition legislators were suspended after they trooped into the well of the House shouting slogans demanding justice for the victim.
Raising the issue through a call attention motion Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Keshav Chandra and Congress legislator Dilip Lahariya said, a girl who was native of Devgaon village under Masturi police station limits of Bilaspur district, was working at a medical store there.
On January 7, 2017, she was raped and murdered by unidentified people while she was on way back to home.
A report was registered in the concerned police station but so far none of the accused have been arrested, they added.
In his reply, Home Minister Ram Sewak Paikra said, after recovering the body of a woman near Devgaon on January 17, 2017, a case was lodged under section 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of the evidence of offence) of IPC and the investigation launched.
Further section 376 (rape) of IPC was added into the case.
Besides, an 18-member special investigation team (SIT), headed by Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural Bilaspur) Archana Jha, was constituted to probe the incident, he said.
Director General of Police (DGP) has announced a reward of Rs 50,000 to those providing inputs to arrest the accused in the incident.
However, to expedite the process of investigation, Police Headquarter (Raipur) later included two more officials from Crime Branch Raipur- Inspector Sanjay Singh and Sub Inspector Gaurav Tiwari, into the SIT, the home minister said.
Every possible effort is being made to arrest the accused, he said.
Countering his reply, BSP MLA Chandra asked why no arrest has been made even after two months of the incident.
The home minister replied that, so far as many as 400 people have been interrogated in this connection while statement of 200 suspects recorded.
Besides, permission was also sought from the court to conduct narco test of 9 suspects.
Likewise, DNA sample testing of 16 suspects was also being done.
Forensic experts have been pressed into the investigation, the minister added.
Interrupting him, Congress MLA Lahariya alleged that whether police was trying to shield the accused.
Lahariya further demanded CBI probe into the incident to which the home minister said the SIT was already investigating the case.
Meanwhile, Marwahi constituency legislator Amit Jogi
alleged, during investigation, police sniffer dog was seen leading the investigators towards an illegal liquor shop situated nearby, but somehow it was misguided deliberately.
Jogi also demanded compensation to the family of the kin.
The home minister said, very soon culprits will be arrested.
Unsatisfied with the reply, MLAs Amit Jogi, Rajendra Rai and Siyaram Kaushikmoved into thewellof the House demanding justice for the victimand were automatically suspended.
Subsequently, state Congress president and senior Congress MLA Bhupesh Baghel sought to know from the home minister the outcome of the post-mortem report.
He also asked whether the victim was gangraped.
The minister answered that the post-mortem was performed by a team of three doctors on January 7, 2017, according to which the victim was strangulated to death.
The autopsy could not establish rape on the victim, the minister said.
Baghel then questioned how come rape charge was included in the case.
The minister said it was done based on the statement of the parents of the victim and the case is under investigation.
Dissatisfied over his reply, Baghel, the leader of opposition in the assembly TS Singhdeo and other Congress members said how it was possible that rape was not detected in the post-mortem which was done on the same day of incident.
Baghel further demanded probe by CBI or judicial commission or any independent agency into the case.
Besides, he also sought compensation to the kin of the victim.
The Home Minister said that the probe is underway by SIT and whatever compensation is there under the provision will be given to the family accordingly.
Congress members further demanded re-postmortem of the woman after exhuming her body which was rejected by the home Minister saying that it was not needed.
Enraged over his reply, the opposition MLAs raised anti-government slogans and staged walkout in the House.