CB to move HC against lower court’s verdict in Pipili gang rape, murder case

Cuttack, Dec 28: After hue and cry over the acquittal of two accused persons due to lack of evidence in Pipili gang rape and murder case, the Crime Branch of Odisha police on Thursday said that it will soon move to Orissa High Court challenging the verdict of the lower court.

              ADG, CID, CB, Santosh Kumar Upadhaya said at a press conference that the Crime Branch had started looking into the matter after registering the case on January 9, 2012.

“The investigation of the case was conducted properly and two persons were charge sheeted in first phase. While prime accused Prasant Pradhan was charge sheeted as the murder accuse, the co-accused Sukant Pradhan was charge sheeted for threatening the victim’s family,” said Upadhyay telling that SC/ST Atrocity Act was also imposed against the accused persons.

Besides, four government employees were also booked for not implementing the SC/ST Atrocity Act in the matter, he added.

The case was split up. While the murder case was being trialed by a court in Bhubaneswar, the atrocity case is pending at the special court in Puri, the ADG said.

“The Crime Branch had conducted the investigation properly and the Additional Public Prosecutor had raised all the points and submitted written arguments,” said Upadhyay adding that the court in its judgment had acquitted the accused persons due to lack of evidence even though the murder was established.

“We have taken opinion from the Additional Public Prosecutor who has opined that there was strong and valid reason and ground to move and appeal before higher court,” he said.

The Crime Branch has collected all necessary records including written arguments of public prosecutor, deposition statements and as per the protocol very soon it will move to Director of Public Prosecution to appeal before Orissa High Court, Upadhyay told.