CUTTACK: Orissa High Court on Friday fixed September 18 for start of hearing on the death sentence awarded to the accused in Kangula rape and murder case. The death penalty has been referred to the High Court for confirmation. Convict Anam Dehury alias Srinibash, who was awarded the capital punishment, also challenged the sentence through a criminal appeal. The division bench of Justice SK Mishra and Justice AK Mishra admitted Srinibash’s appeal and tagged it for hearing for order along with the death sentence reference case on September 18.
A 12-year-old girl was brutally killed after being raped at Kangula village in Angul district on January 19. Police arrested 22-year-old plumber Srinibash, who lived in the same village, three days later from Kolkata and named him accused in the case. A charge-sheet was presented in court in a month and the case put through the speedy trial mode. Hearing was completed in a record four months.
On July 26, a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court awarded death sentence to Srinibash. Adjudging it as a rarest of rare cases, Additional District and Sessions Judge Suresh Chandra Pradhan, who presided over the POCSO court, awarded capital punishment to the accused.As per case records the victim, a Class VII student, was carrying lunch for her father, who ran a shop in the village, when she was waylaid by Srinibash on way. The accused raped the girl and later killed her by crushing her head with a stone.
‘No demolition sans notice’
Cuttack: Hearing a case on the acquisition of land by the State Government in Puri town, the Orissa High Court has directed the authorities concerned not to demolish a building situated on it without issuing prior notice to the owner. The Court issued the direction on Thursday while disposing of the petition filed by one Jagannath Pratihari of Hajuri Lane, Manikarnika Sahi in Puri town. Pratihari had challenged the inaction of the district administration in not determining the value of the building over his recorded land acquired by the Government for development of the periphery of Shri Jagannath Temple.
On asked to take instructions from the Land Acquisition Officer-cum-Collector, Puri, the Additional Government Advocate submitted that no demolition shall be made without due procedure of law and giving any notice. The division bench of Justice Sanju Panda and Justice Pramath Patnaik said, “Considering the above, we dispose of the writ petition with a direction that the two storied building situated over Khata no 659/ 13, plot no 666/1194, area Ac 0.008 dec, kissam-harabari-I Mouza Manikarnika Sahi, Puri Town Unit No 10, P.S Puri Town of the petitioner shall not be demolished without following due procedure of law and without giving any notice to the party concerned.”