CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Thursday, December 23, 2021, adjourned hearing on a petition seeking fast-tracking of the investigation into the Mamita Meher murder case to January 28 with the filing of a status report on the police probe.
A single judge Bench of Justice Biswajit Mohanty adjourned the matter after perusing the status report which was submitted in a sealed cover. The State Counsel also informed the court that in order to ensure transparency in the case of such sensitive nature, the State government had entrusted former District Judge ABS Naidu with the job of monitoring the investigation.
The Court was hearing the petition filed by Mamita’s father Suchandra Meher and brother Banti. Senior advocate Pradipta Mohanty who appeared on behalf of the petitioners strongly opposed the intervention petitions questioning the locus standi of the organisations which had filed them.
Earlier Kalahandi Meher Samaj had filed an intervention petition. Another intervention petition was filed by Bharatiya Bikash Parishad on Thursday. Justice Mohanty said both the petitions will be taken up on the next date to consider their maintainability.
Mamita, a 26-year-old teacher of Sunshine English Medium School at Mahaling in Kalahandi was killed on October 8. Her charred body was found buried in an under-construction stadium near the school. Police arrested Gobind Sahu, president of the managing committee of the school as accused in the murder case on October 19. He has since been in judicial custody.