CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed for the arrest of remaining seven accused in connection with the students’ agitation at Vani Vihar in Bhubaneswar during which a 43-year-old woman had died seven years back. While issuing the direction on Thursday, the division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice RK Pattanaik directed the Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar to constitute a special team to trace out and arrest them within two months.
“A further direction is issued that the criminal case must be taken to its logical end with the proceedings against the two persons who have been apprehended to be commenced without any further delay by separating the trial against the remaining seven accused who are yet to be apprehended. The criminal proceedings against the two accused persons who have been apprehended must be concluded within a period of six months from today. A status report on the progress of the criminal proceedings be sent to this Court once every two months from today till the conclusion of the proceedings,” the bench specified in its order on June 23.
Suman Sharma, who was inside a car near Vani Vihar square during a road blockade by students of Utkal University, had suffered a fatal panic stroke resulting in brain haemorrhage. Later, she succumbed at a hospital.On October 5, 2015, Maitree Sansad, a city-based social service organisation filed a PIL seeking a SIT probe into the death.While disposing the case the bench said, “The court is not persuaded that there has been any lapse in the investigation, particularly since the charge sheet has now been filed. However, rigorous steps have to continue to be taken to apprehend the absconding accused.”