Justice can never be as elusive to anyone as the three boys arrested in connection with murder of Priti. Despite police’s affidavit in the court Ajeet, Abhimanyu and Amarjeet are still languishing at Birsa Munda Central Jail here. Relatives of Ajeet have filed a petition in the court of Judicial Magistrate Manoj Kumar Sharma to seek release of him.
“We have filed petition annexing police’s report that exonerates all the accused in the case,” said Ajeet’s brother Chandan.
The petition seeking release was filed on June 20 after Bundu police submitted its report to the court. Due to holiday, the petition could not be heard before Tuesday. All three accused are in jail since February.
The curious case of Priti’s death and rising from the ashes has put the police’s manner of operation under scanner.
The case which prima facie appeared as elopement was turned into a case of murder proven by submissions and omissions of facts. Even police is now admitting mistakes on their part. Priti’s father Sureh Singh lambasted police for acting in haste. The case is being investigated by CID.
“I don’t know why they were in a hurry to solve the case. They botched up the investigation,” said Singh.
Priti’s father Suresh Singh, a gunman in a logistic company, washed his hands off the controversy that ensued when the girl mysteriously appeared. In an exclusive revelation to The Pioneer, the girl’s father rubbished Priti’s statement given to the police. The father also denied ever being contacted by Priti from Palamu. After elopement Priti had gone to Palamu where she stayed with her friend.
“It is surprising to know from media reports that Priti termed her mother as stepmother. She is lying and can go to any extent to malign our image. She had eloped on three occasions earlier,” confided Singh.
According to Singh, the girl eloped on February 14, 2014 after 4.30 pm without leaving any note. A case of missing child was registered on the evening of February 16 and on the day Singh was informed about Priti’s whereabouts by Chutia police station in-charge Krishna Murari.
“He (Krishna Murari) informed me about a body that was recovered from Bundu and asked to go to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) to verify the body,” said Singh.
However, there is more about the story than what meets the eye. The accused were nabbed following cross-examination of Priti’s friend, Pinki. During interrogation, Pinki was made to contact Ajeet and following the conversation between the two police asked Priti’s friend to call the accused to a location in Dangratoli. The police reached one accused, Ajeet, through Pinki and then to other accused Amarjeet, Abhimanyu.
“We suspected Pinki’s role in all this so we questioned her. Under pressure Pinki called Ajeet then Chutia police station in-charge asked the girl to call the boy to a shopping mall in Dangratoli. It is then Ajeet was nabbed,” continued Singh.
Interestingly, on June 17, Singh was called to Chutia police station while Ajeet was being interrogated. During interrogation, Murari requested the parents of Priti to visit RIMS and verify her daughter’s charred body. Singh and his family members went to RIMS to see the body in morgue but they expressed their reservations about the body which had a thick bracelet in her right hand they claimed not ever worn by Priti. The police is said to have recorded confessional statement of Ajeet in the meantime.