CUTTACK: Pulled up by the Orissa High Court over delay in completing its probe into the alleged gang-rape and suicide of a girl at Kunduli, the State Crime Branch finally submitted its report on Wednesday.
The Court was to examine the report on the day and take a decision but it could not be done due to the ongoing boycott of the court of the Chief Justice by lawyers.
On August 3, the High Court had expressed displeasure over the inordinate delay in completion of the Crime Branch enquiry and allowed time till September 4 for submission of the report. The division bench of Chief Justice KS Jhaveri and Justice KR Mohapatra had indicated setting up of a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe the case if the Crime Branch failed to meet the deadline or the outcome of the probe was found not satisfactory.
Earlier, the State Government had tabled the report of the judicial commission, that probed the alleged gang-rape and suicide case, in the Assembly on August 3. The one-man commission of Koraput District and Sessions Judge BK Mishra in his report could not confirm if the girl was actually raped as alleged and the reason behind her committing suicide before completion of an investigation.
The commission stated that the incident was a mystery and suggested further investigation. It submitted its 141-page report on September 20, 2018.
The State Government had ordered a judicial as well as the Crime Branch probe into the case on November 8, 2017 after the State police said it had found no positive evidence in support of allegations of rape.
The shocking incident on October 10, 2017 involved the alleged gang-rape of a minor girl by four uniformed personnel near Sorisapadar jungle in Koraput.
The victim, a Class IX student of Government Welfare School of Musaguda village within Pottangi police limits, had gone to Kunduli for submitting details pertaining to her Aadhaar card in the morning.She was returning home alone when four unidentified persons in uniform allegedly dragged her to the nearby jungle, raped and abandoned her there.The victim committed suicide on January 22, 2018.