The entire Opposition, both Congress and BJP members, on Tuesday staged a walkout in the Assembly in protest against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s outright rejection of their demand for referring the killing of Tikiri schoolteacher Itishree Pradhan to CBI for a fair investigation.
On the contrary, the Chief Minister assured that the concerns expressed by the members would be addressed by the investigation being undertaken by the State Crime Branch.
The issue had rocked the Assembly since Saturday last with leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh along with his party colleagues resorting to an indefinite dharna in the well, demanding a reply by the Chief Minister on the admitted notice of adjournment on the issue. Normalcy had returned in the House as the Government had conceded to their demand on Monday.
Replying to the debate on Tuesday, Patnaik asserted that the Government would leave no stone unturned in getting to the bottom of the case and provide justice to the bereaved family of the deceased.
He reiterated that all the concerns expressed by the members in the House would be addressed by the investigation being undertaken by the State Crime Branch and extremely stringent action would be taken against those found guilty.
The State Government taking the case very seriously had handed over the investigation of the case to the State Crime Branch immediately after the sad demise of Itishree. The CB is making a thorough investigation into all aspects of the case, he said.
Defending the steps of the State Government as far as probe is concerned, the Chief Minister said, “Even the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had subsequently asked us to get the matter investigated by the State Crime Branch.”
The investigation of the case is in progress under the direct supervision of senior officers of the CB and the Special Public Prosecutor of the CB has been appointed to conduct the prosecution, he said.
“It is my personal conviction and commitment of my Government that nobody is above law and time and again, my Government has proved the same,” he said, adding that it is applicable in the particular case in question.
Describing the incident as “a very serious issue”, Patnaik urged the Opposition parties not to trivialise it for narrow political gains with the assertion that his Government’s commitment to women’s empowerment is “unquestionable”. “In fact, it is because of the trust and faith that people and women in particular have in the Government that they have been blessing us (electing to power) continuously for the last 14 years,” the Chief Minister pointed out.
Informing that the dying declaration of the victim was recorded by the Tehsildar, Tikiri, on October 28, he said that four officials were dismissed from service in connection of the case. While main accused Neetrananda Dandasena was arrested in the case and dismissed from service, Investigating officer ASI Muralidhar Pradhan and Inspector, Sujit Kumar Say were dismissed from service for dereliction of duty. Block Education Officer Dharanidhar Behera was also dismissed form service by the Government, he said.
Refuting the allegation by the Opposition that that the Government did not act that resulted in the killing of Itishree, Patnaik said proper legal steps were taken since the receipt of the complaint of sexual harassment and in the subsequent incidents.
On her complaint, he said an FIR was registered in Tikiri police station on July 18 last and after investigation, an NBW was issued against the main accused to nab the key accused as he was at large.
Similarly, the case registered on October 28 last, following the complaint that an unknown person set afire Itishree by pouring kerosene oil, was later converted into a murder case under Section 302 IPC after the death of the victim.
Earlier, participating in the debate, the Opposition members, including leader of theOpposition Singh, Opposition Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan and Independent Member Pratap Sarangi demanded that the Government must hand over the Itishree murder case to CBI for conducting a fair inquiry considering the sensitivity involved and the Chief Minister , School and Mass Education Minister Rabi Narayan Nanda and local MP Jayaram Pangi should be brought under the ambit of the investigation basing on the dying declaration of the victim for not giving her justice and protection.
Harichandan alleged that the Chief Minister, the School and Mass Education Minister ,the Collector and the SP of the district and the local MP had inflicted more crime on Itisrhree than perpetrator Dandasena and the unidentified person who to set her ablaze.
Regretting that the lady teacher had moved from pillar to post, including the administrative heads and guardian of justice in writing to get justice and protection, he said everybody in authority failed to save her. Harichandan said that the victim’s mobile phone should be traced and her conversation with the officials seeking help should be recorded to take the investigation to a logical conclusion. Commending her courage to fight the case alone, he urged the Chief Minister to institute a national bravery award and name it after Itishree.
On the other hand, participating in the debate through calling attention notice, the Treasury Bench members though demanded stringent action against the culprits in the case, yet they defended the Government in taking timely action including ordering CB inquiry in the case.
But, senior BJD member Pradip Maharathy said that the women from other districts who are working in undivided Koraput district were not feeling safe.