CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Friday set a four-week deadline for the State Crime Branch to complete its investigation into the Kunduli gangrape case.
The court was hearing former MP Kharavela Swain’s PIL petition along with the petition of mother of the victim girl. Both have sought CBI probe into the case.
The State Government had ordered a judicial as well as Crime Branch probe into the case on November 8, 2017 after the state police ruled out rape. The judicial inquiry had not submitted any report so far. The Crime Branch was also yet to complete its inquiry.
After Swain’s counsel Pitambar Acharya made his submissions centering around the delay in completion of probe by the Crime Branch, the court expressed unhappiness over it.
Advocate General Ashok Parija, on the other hand, sought three months’ time. However, the court allowed one month and posted the matter to September 4.
The division bench of Chief Justice KS Jhaveri and Justice KR Mohapatra said the outcome of the Crime Branch inquiry will be examined by the court on the next date of hearing.
The bench further said a court-monitored SIT probe would be more effective and asked the counsels for the petitioners and the State to suggest six names for appointment in the proposed SIT with three members comprising two senior officers from Central agencies and one from State agency.
The 14-year-old girl from Musaguda village in Koraput district was allegedly raped by four “men in uniform” while she was returning home from Kunduli market on October 10, 2017. The girl committed suicide on January 22, 2018.
Tardy pace
PIL filed by former MP Kharavela Swain
The judicial inquiry and the CB yet to file report
The division bench said a court-monitored SIT probe to be more effective
Both counsels asked to suggest six names for the proposed SIT
The girl was allegedly raped by four “men in uniform” on October 10, 2017