The State Government has finally ordered a high-level administrative probe into the murder of Itishree Pradhan, a school teacher in Tikiri in Rayagada district, who was allegedly set ablaze for refusing to withdraw a molestation case against her senior on October 27, 2013.
“We have ordered a probe into the setting ablaze of the lady teacher at Tikiri in Rayagada district last year,” a senior Home Department official said, adding that Agriculture Secretary Rajesh Verma would conduct the probe.Home Secretary Vipin Saxena is understood to have asked Verma in a missive to look into different aspects of the case and submit a report within 14 weeks.Conducting a PIl hearing on March 5, the Supreme Court had refused to direct a CBI probe into the murder and directed the State Government to take appropriate action.
Though the State Government had ordered a probe by the Crime Branch, a Bangalore-based law student had filed the PIl in the apex court, seeming an enquiry by an independent agency like the CBI.The student had alleged that powerful politicians from Rayagada district were involved in the case.Notably, some unidentified persons had set the lady teacher ablaze at Tikiri primary school in Rayagada district. She had earlier filed a case of molestation against her senior.
The teacher succumbed to burn injuries in a Visakhapatnam hospital in Andhra Pradesh.The State Government had sacked Sub-Inspector of Schools, Netrananda Dandasena, Deputy Inspector of Schools Dharanidhar Behera, Tikiri Police Station IIC Sujit Kumar Sai and ASI Muralidhar Pradhan in the case.The Crime Branch had filed chargesheet against Dandasena, the prime accused in the case. It was yet to identify the person who actually set her on fire.