In a belated action, the State Government on Wednesday dismissed four officials, including the Inspector-in-Charge of the Tikiri police station, from service for criminal neglect in the case of the death of schoolteacher Itishree Pradhan of Tikiri Upper Primary Residential School in Rayagada district.
A Press release issued by the Chief Minister's Office said the Government has dismissed the Inspector-in-Charge Sujit Kuamr Say and Assistant Sub-Inspector Muralidhar Pradhan of Tikiri PS and School Inspector Neetrananda Dandasena and District Inspector of Schools Dharanidhar Behera over the death of Itishree. The action was taken under Article 311(2) of the Constitution of India.
Earlier, Dandasena was arrested on October 30. Besides, the Government suspended three other accused for the their neglect in giving justice and protecting the victim despite her repeated appeals in writing.
Itishree was set afire by sprinkling kerosene on her by an unidentified person on October 27 for refusing to withdraw the sexual harassment case against Dandasena. She succumbed to her 90 per cent burn injuries at a hospital in Visakhapatnam on November 1.
The “exemplary” action was taken against the delinquent officers following reports of the Crime Branch and a team of officials of the School and Mass Education Department, official sources said.
A team of senior officials of the School and Mass Education Department has been sent to Tikiri to probe the case. The dismissal of the already suspended SI and DI was taken basing on the report of the team and in consultation with the law Department.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary, School and Mass Education Department Usha Padhee said a team of senior officials of the department was sent to Rayagada for an on-the-spot investigation.
A special Crime Branch (CB) team probing the incident has brought Dandasena on a four-day remand for quzzing him at the CB headquarter in Cuttack. However, opposition BJP and Congress have been demanding a CBI probe into the incident and resignation of Chief Minister Patnaik for failing to protect the victim.