Pari Murder Case: No Letter From Odisha Govt On Court-Monitored SIT Probe, Clarifies HC

Cuttack: The much-talked-about murder of a five-year-old minor girl of Jadupur village in Nayagarh district took a new twist on Friday. The Orissa High Court has clarified that it is yet to receive any letter from the state government regarding a court-monitored SIT probe into the incident.

The High Court made the disclosure in reply to a query on court-monitored probe by RTI activist Hemant Panda.

Briefing the media on Friday, Hemant said he had sought the information as to whether Odisha Government has given any letter to the court regarding the court-monitored SIT probe and what follow-up action has taken by the HC in this regard. He had also wanted to know whether a court-monitored SIT has been formed and the details of the case monitored by the court.

Hemant said the Additional Deputy Registrar of the Court B Das, in a letter on January 6, has made it clear that “No letter of request has been received from the state government as on date regarding the appointment of the Honourable sitting Judge of this court to monitor the SIT probe into the murder of the minor girl, namely Pari of Nayagarh district. Since no such letter is received, the question of action does not arise.”

It may be recalled that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during the winter session of State Assembly on November 27 had ordered the SIT probe in the Pari murder case. He had said if the SIT investigation is what is required, the state government will take steps in this regard and do it immediately.

Acting on the directive of the Chief Minister, the state government on November 28 had formed a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by the senior IPS officer and IG of Police Arun Bothra and four Crime Branch officials RK Dora, SP, RC Thamba, Additional SP, Narendra Kuma Behera, Inspector of Police and Mamata Rani Panda, Inspector of Police as other members.

On the same day, senior IPS officer and special secretary, Home Santosh Bala had written to the Registrar General of the High Court that the state government has proposed to constitute the SIT to be monitored by the High Court to investigate the alleged incident of murder of a five-year-old girl for which the government has selected a panel of senior police officers for the SIT.