BHUBANESHWAR: As the BJP today upped the ante against the state government demanding a CBI probe into the alleged Kunduli gangrape and subsequent suicide by the victim, the ruling BJD hit back by advising a probe by the Home Ministry as central security forces were said to be involved in the incident.
Dismissing the BJP allegation that there has been no investigation into Kunduli incident as baseless, Rajya Sabha MP and BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb said the state government has taken several steps to get into the root of the matter. There were two medical investigations as well as a crime branch probe into the incident, but chief minister Naveen Patnaik ordered a judicial probe as there was differences of opinion, Deb said and added that the terms of reference of the probe has also been expanded after the forensic report was available.
Referring to a statement of union minister for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan about the state government giving a clean chit to central forces in a letter to the Centre, Deb said no such letter has been written. “Neither such a letter has been written, nor the state government has given a clean chit to central security forces,” he said.
“If the BJP does not believe in the impartiality of the judicial probe after all the points have brought under its terms of reference, the Centre can order an inquiry as central forces were also said to be involved,” Deb said and added that the state government is not trying to suppress anything about the 'unfortunate' incident.
Stating that the truth will come out in the judicial probe, Deb criticised the BJP for trying to keep the Kunduli issue alive keeping an eye on the by-poll to the Bijepur assembly constituency.
Referring to the BJP's demand, Deb said a CBI probe could not succeed in the Itishree Pradhan case. During the last four years, the CBI has failed to resolve even a single case in Odisha, he said.