Probing into the sensational Pipili gang-rape and murder case, the Justice PK Mohanty Commission of Inquiry on Thursday asked the State Government to show cause within three weeks as to why the Home Minister (Naveen Patnaik) shall not file an affidavit before the commission.
The Thursday’s notice came after the commission rejected an affidavit filed by a Government counsel in which it was stated that there is no need for the Home Minister to file any affidavit. At its 49th sitting, the commission also recorded the statements of Dr Durgesh Saw, who as a PG student had first examined the victim in the SCB Medical College Hospital here. The commission further decided that the recording of statements of the remaining doctors is not needed.
The commission fixed January 18 for the next hearing when the victim’s father Babuli Behera has been summoned to record his statements, informed his counsel Nishikant Mishra. Mishra had earlier made the application before the commission seeking an affidavit from the Home Minister, who is also the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, to file an affidavit.
The Government counsel, however, had filed an affidavit stating that there was no necessity seeking an affidavit from the Home Minister when the Home Secretary and the DGP have filed their affidavits.