Senior Congress leader Prasad Harichandan on Thursday criticised the State Government for its lackadaisical attitude towards women and children by claiming that the Supreme Court slammed it in two cases pertaining to Itishree Pradhan murder and rescue of some missing children recently.
Harichandan said the Supreme Court has favoured investigation by a Central agency in the sensational murder of Itishree Pradhan, a Shiksha Sahayika at Tikiri in Rayagada district, as the court was not satisfied with ongoing probe by the State Crime Branch. Recently, the court had sought response from the CBI and the Odisha Government over handing over the case to the Central agency while hearing a petition filed by Sudipta lenka, an Odia girl pursing law in Bengaluru.
“We are of the prime facie view that the matter should be referred for investigation to a Central agency,” Harichandan read out from the court’s order. Harichandan expressed surprise over a report of Agriculture Secretary Rajesh Burma, who had conducted departmental inquiry into the case, blaming the DGP only by trickily not mentioning the name of Chief Minister whose name was uttered by the victim during her dying declaration.
The Congressman also attacked the Government for its failure to trace and rescue 2,170 missing children in 2011, while referring to a recent Supreme Court observation in a writ petition filed by Bachpan Bachao Andolan founded by Nobel laureate activist Kailash Satyarthi.
The court had come down heavily, while using strong words, on the Government’s failure to track the children who have gone missing in recent years, he added. The court has directed the Chief Secretary and the DGP to submit an appropriate affidavit, on or before January 13, 2015, indicating the possible steps that they would be taking to trace out the missing children for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. The Chief Secretary and the DGP were also asked to remain present in the court on the date.