In a significant twist in the sensational case of sexual assault and murder of five-year-old girl Pari of Jadupur village in Nayagarh district, the POCSO Court here on Tuesday maintained that the accused Sartoj Sethy shall be treated as a minor.
The case would now be transferred to the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) for further investigation, ordered the court.The court pronounced the decision while hearing a petition filed by Sethy’s parents claiming that he was a minor on the day of the incident.
The court had also rejected an appeal made by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Monday for a narco analysis test of the accused.
Following the court’s verdict that Sethy was a minor, Samir Mohanty, State president of the BJP, which has been demanding a CBI probe into the Pari case, alleged that the SIT inquiry is only aimed at shielding the real accused, who is known as a close aide of Nayagarh MLA and Minister Arun Sahoo.
He also demanded removal of IPS officer Arun Bothra as the SIT chief.