Judge Who Sentenced Accused In Chhabirani Rape & Murder Case Passes Away

Kendrapada: The former District and Sessions Judge Krushna Chandra Kar, who had sentenced eight accused persons in the sensational Chhabirani gang rape and murder case in 1980, passed away at his residence in the district on Tuesday. He was 93. He is survived by three sons and a daughter.

While Kar was the District Judge, Cuttack, he had convicted the eight persons on the charges of rape and murder of woman journalist Chhabirani Mohapatra in Jagatsinghpur. The accused were acquitted by Orissa High Court in 1993.

In 2002, the Supreme Court had upheld Kar’s judgment and convicted all the accused to life imprisonment. After retirement, Kar was practising in Kendrapada Court as a lawyer.

It may be mentioned that Chhabirani and her husband Nabakishore were working with a vernacular daily in Jagatsinghpur district. They were targeted by some workers of the then ruling Congress for writing about corruption in the Government.

On October 3, 1980, when the couple along with their son were leaving the village, the culprits waylaid them to the banks of Biluakhai river. Chhabirani convinced her husband to take their son to safety. Later, the miscreants raped and killed her.