Odisha’s Pari Murder Case: Saroj Sethi Moves HC Challenging Conviction By POCSO Court

Cuttack: A month after being convicted and awarded 20 years jail term by a Special Children Court in the sensational Pari murder case, Saroj Sethi moved the Orissa High Court on Wednesday challenging the order.

Sethi, who was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for 20 years, moved the appeal through his counsel by challenging the verdict of Nayagarh Additional District and Sessions Judge and Special POCSO court earlier pronounced on February 6.

It may be noted here that POCSO court in Nayagarh had sentenced the accused to 20 years rigorous imprisonment. The court also imposed a fine on the convict. In case of non-payment of the fine, Sethi will undergo an additional imprisonment of one year, the court had ordered.

During a detailed probe, scientific, electronic, and circumstantial evidence were collected. There was no eyewitness of the crime and as many as 31 persons were examined during hearing of the case. A total of 135 exhibits and 18 material objects used in the offence were submitted before the trial court.

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.

Detailing the evidence obtained during the investigation then, Arun Bothra, who led the SIT, said Pari had gone to the house of the accused, about 100 metre away from her’s, around 10.30 am on July 14, 2020, to collect berries. He was alone in his house as his mother and sister had left for their offices. He then took her to a room and removed her frock. Later, when he was about to remove her leggings, she resisted and started to scream. As she opposed the act, he strangulated her to death.

A chargesheet was earlier filed under Sections 376 A and B, 363, 364, 302, 201 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 6 of POCSO Act against the accused, who had reportedly confessed to having strangled the girl to death after the failed bid to rape her.