Nayagarh minor girl murder: SIT submits status report in Odisha HC

Cuttack: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Odisha Crime Branch probing into the alleged abduction and murder of a 5-year-old girl of Jadupur village in Nayagarh district today submitted the investigation status report in the Orissa High Court.

The court posted the matter for next hearing on December 24.

“It is indeed a matter of grave concern that despite the lapse of five months, the police have not been able to make any headway to nab the culprits. This poorly reflects on the competence of the police administration of the State. Considering that the State Government has now already constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), we direct the SIT to take effective and expeditious steps to identify and arrest the accused,” the High Court had said in its previous hearing.

Two separate petitions were filed in the High Court by lawyer Padmalaya Mohapatra and Bharatiya Bikash Parishad seeking CBI probe into the case and compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the girl’s family.

The deceased girl’s father Ashok Sahoo and mother Saudamini had on November 24 attempted self-immolation outside the Odisha Legislative Assembly demanding justice for their daughter. Alleging police inaction in the case, the couple accused minister Arun Kumar Sahoo of shielding accused Babuli Nayak. They claimed that Nayak is a close aide of the Nayagarh MLA.

The child had gone missing while playing in front of her house on July 14. Later on July 23, her decomposed body was found packed in a sack behind the house near a pond. Her parents alleged that Nayak had kidnapped and murdered their daughter.

The Odisha Government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by IPS officer Arun Bothra for investigation of the case.