Odisha lady teacher murder: Final round of depositions begins

Reported by Ranjan Rath
Rayagada, Mar 11:

The final phase of witness deposition in the Itishree Pradhan murder case began at the District and Sessions Judge Court in Odisha’s Rayagada district today.

On the first day, Alok Das, DSP, Crime Branch, who was the investigating officer in the Itishree murder case, deposed before the court. The court, however, adjourned his deposition for tomorrow as it was scheduled to hear a case filed by former School Sub Inspector (SI) Netrananda Dandasena in the Odisha High Court against its acceptance of a plea by Crime Branch counsel Rajendra Prasad Sahu to consider the statement of Itishree as dying statement.

Sahu had told the court that since the police had recorded the dying statement of Itishree in the presence of the local magistrate, the statement should be considered as a dying statement.

The court, during the fifth phase deposition, had recorded the statement of 35 witnesses.