HC gives govt 13 days to file report on murder of minor girl

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Thursday set a 13-day deadline for the State government to submit a status report on the progress of investigation into the murder of a five-year-old girl in Nayagarh district four months back.

The division bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Biswanath Rath also directed the police to provide protection to the girl’s parents. The State government will have to submit the report by December 16, the next date of hearing on the PIL filed by a lawyer Padmalaya Mohapatra alleging police inaction in the killing of the girl child even after four months have passed since the incident.

HC seeks govt report in 13 days 

The case had recently come to limelight after the girls parents attempted self-immolation outside the Assembly on November 24. It stirred a Statewide outrage over the conduct of police in the matter. While pointing out that there has been no progress in the investigation since the complaint was lodged by the girl’s father, petitioner Mohapatra sought inquiry into the minor murder case by either CBI or Special Investigation Team (SIT). He also sought compensation for the family of the girl. 

He also drew the court’s attention to the threat to the life of the girl’s parents and stated that they were not staying in the village out of fear. The State counsel submitted that SIT probe into the murder case is on since Tuesday.  Mohapatra’s PIL will be taken up for hearing on December 16 along with another PIL filed by Berhampur-based Bharatiya Bikash Parishad which had sought CBI probe into the case and compensation of `25 lakh for the girl’s parents.

A case of abduction was registered by the Nayagarh Sadar police on July 14 this year on the basis of a complaint lodged by the girl’s father. It was converted into a murder case after a decomposed body was found near their house at Jadupur in the district on July 23. The DNA test of the body confirmed that belonged to the girl. She had gone missing while playing near her house.