CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday posted to December 24 hearing on two PILs seeking CBI probe into the murder of a five-year-old girl in Nayagarh district after the State government sought more time to complete the probe undertaken by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The State counsel sought more time while submitting a report on the progress of investigation by SIT in a sealed cover. The division bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice BR Sarangi expressed displeasure over the progress and directed for submission of an up-to-date report when the two PILs are taken up next on December 24.
Padmalaya Mohapatra, a Cuttack-based lawyer and another by Berhampur-based Bharatiya Bikash Parishad president Surendra Panigrahi filed the PILs. The petitioners have also sought direction to the government to pay compensation of `25 lakh to the deceased girl’s parents.
The SIT, which had started probe on December 1, was constituted after parents of the deceased minor girl protesting alleged police inaction attempted self-immolation outside the Odisha Assembly on November 24, sparking off Statewide outrage.
Nayagarh Sadar police had registered a case of abduction on July 14 on the basis of a complaint lodged by victim’s father Ashok Sahoo. It was turned into a murder case after Sahoo found a decomposed body near her home on July 23 and a DNA test of the body confirmed that it was his daughter.The girl had reportedly gone missing while she was playing near the house at Jadupur in the district.