CUTTACK: The Odisha High Court on Monday refused to order CBI probe into the Kunduli gang-rape case and disposed of the petition filed by the victim’s mother. Damai Chatti, the mother of the victim, had raised doubts over investigation by the State Crime Branch in her petition filed in March last year.
The division bench of Chief Justice KS Jhaveri and Justice KR Mohapatra observed that an inquiry by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by it had made sure whether investigation by the Crime Branch was done properly or not. The SIT submitted its final report on Monday in a sealed cover.
The Bench took note of it and directed the SIT to submit the report to the trial court in Koraput district. The bench also gave liberty to the petitioner to take its grievances, if any, to the trial court.
Earlier on November 18, the Court had appointed the SIT to conduct an independent investigation and verify the documents relied upon by the petitioner after the State Government informed that the CID-Crime Branch had closed inquiry into the case and submitted final report in the trial court in Koraput district.
On December 16, the Government had submitted a status report on the SIT inquiry in a sealed cover and sought more time for completion of the probe. But the Court had set December 23 as deadline for the SIT to complete its probe.
DIGs of South Western Range Shafeen Ahmed K, Southern Range Satyabrata Bhoi and Northern Range Himanshu Lal, who were part of the SIT, were present when the report was submitted to the Court on Monday.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. She committed suicide on January 22, 2018.
The 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.While the findings of the CID-Crime Branch are not known, the judicial commission had not confirmed if the girl was actually raped as alleged and the reason behind her committing suicide before completion of investigation.