Bhubaneswar: Jajpur MP Rabindra Narayan Behera has urged Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi for a time-bound Crime Branch inquiry into the disappearance of minor girl Pihu from Binjharpur in 2020.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Behera highlighted serious allegations raised by Pihu’s mother, Monalisa Nayak, regarding the handling of the case by the police. Pihu reportedly went missing on August 9, 2020, from the Madhusudanpur area under Binjharpur police limits. Though her family approached police shortly after the incident occurred, they stated in their representation that the matter was allegedly not acted upon with the required urgency. A case was subsequently registered on August 14, 2020, under Section 363 of the Indian Penal Code.
The MP said the girl’s mother has alleged that the subsequent investigation was not conducted effectively despite repeated representations to the police and district authorities. He also raised questions over the conduct of the then Inspector-in-Charge of Binjharpur police station, Niranjan Sabar. The letter alleged delay and negligence in handling the sensitive case. It further claimed that the investigation was entrusted to an officer who was reportedly on leave at the time.
Addressing these administrative issues, Behera has requested the Crime Branch to examine the role of Sabar and other officials who handled the case during the relevant period. He said any dereliction of duty, negligence, suppression of facts, misconduct or other irregularity established during the inquiry should invite departmental and legal action as per law. To get to the bottom of procedural failures, he has also asked the authorities to examine all relevant records, including the original complaint, FIR, case diary, investigation records and station diary entries, to establish what happened during the initial stages of the investigation.
The MP’s intervention comes as Pihu remains untraced nearly six years after her disappearance. The case has previously drawn attention from the National Human Rights Commission, which had directed the Odisha police authorities to submit a report on the investigation. In 2022, Binjharpur police had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information that could help trace the missing girl. Despite search efforts and the reward, Pihu has remained untraced.
He personally met with the Chief Minister on Monday, seeking a thorough and impartial investigation to locate the missing child.