After Court Verdict In Pari Murder Case In Odisha, BJD Seeks Apology From Dharmendra Pradhan

Bhubaneswar: A day after a Special Children Court sentenced the accused in Pari murder case to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday lashed out at Bharatiya Jajata Party (BJP) leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the issue.

Taking to his X handle, BJD leader Pranab Prakash Das came down heavily on the Union Education and Skill Development Minister accusing him of having tried to save the murderer in the case.

Alleging that high-profile lawyers were engaged to delay and derail the case a for the political interest of Dharmendra, Das said the people of the state have witnessed everything.

Accusing the BJP leader of taking politics to a low level, he said the verdict pronounced by the court on Tuesday should be an eye opener for Dharmendra, who should ask his conscience whether he had done the right thing by making false statements on Pari murder case.

Claiming that Dharmendra had committed a sin by making misleading statements about the case and delaying justice, the BJD leader asked him to tender an apology to the people.

Notably, 5-year-old Pari, daughter of rickshaw-puller Ashok Sahu, was kidnapped while playing near her house in Nayagarh’s Jadupur village on July 14, 2020. Ten days later, her skeletal remains were found dumped in a gunny bag in the bushes behind her house.

The case grabbed the limelight after Pari’s parents attempted self-immolation in front of the state Assembly in Bhubaneswar on November 24, 2020.

In December 2020, the special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the state government to probe the kidnapping and murder of five-year-old arrested the main accused, apparently a juvenile.

The Special Children Court in Nayagarh on Tuesday sentenced the accused in the sensational murder case to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.