BHUBANESWAR: Expressing shock over the murder of a pregnant woman in Ganjam, leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to direct police to arrest all the persons accused in the brutal case.
In a letter to the chief minister, the leader of Opposition said that the three-year-old daughter who witnessed the crime should be provided immediate state care, compensation and rehabilitation. There should also be an inquiry on why preventive action was not taken by police when the victim was sitting on dharna seeking justice.
Stating that the visuals of a three-year-old child crying beside her mother’s body has shocked the conscience of Odisha, Naveen requested the personal intervention of the chief minister to ensure that the perpetrators are punished as per law and such incidents are not repeated.
Expressing deep anguish, Naveen said according to reports and video footage, the pregnant woman was brutally murdered in front of her minor daughter by the brother of her partner. The victim was reportedly staging dharna seeking justice holding her child when she was attacked, he added.
Meanwhile, Ranjita Sahoo, general secretary of women affairs of BJD, addressed the press and demanded justice for the victim’s family and her three-year-old child. She urged the government to ensure strict action against the culprits and all necessary support and protection to the bereaved family.
However, Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said the government is aware of the heinous crime that took place in Ganjam district and taking all possible steps to provide justice to the victim.
“There is no need for the leader of Opposition to write a letter as the government has been proactive in this matter,” the minister told mediapersons here.
