SIT ignoring organ trade angle; hand over girl murder case to CBI: Pradhan tells Odisha govt

PTI, Dec 27, 2020, 10:21 AM IST

Bhubaneswar: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday demanded that the Odisha government hand over the kidnap and murder case of a 5-year-old girl from Nayagarh district as allegations of organ trade angle have been ignored by the SIT of the state police probing the matter.

The girl’s parents have raised suspicion that an organ trade racket could be behind her abduction and murder.

The Union minister said that the case could be solved if it is probed by a highly professional central agency having a range of experience.

“As the Uttar Pradesh government handed over the Hatharas gang rape and murder case to the CBI, the Odisha government should not hesitate to do the same to clear doubts from the minds of people,” Pradhan said.

The victim girl’s parents are also unhappy with the investigations of the SIT and have been demanding a CBI probe, the minister said.

The SIT of Odisha Police’s Crime Branch arrested a youth from Jadupur, the village of the girl, in connection with the case on December 10, and charged him with rape, besides kidnapping and murder.

The Union minister said that suspicion in regard to the existence of an organ trade racket is gaining ground as about 5,000 children remained missing in the State.

The BJP’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra had also made similar allegations before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) which has recommended a probe by any central agency.

The minor girl went missing while playing near her house on July 14 and her skeletal remains were found in a gunny bag in the backside of her house on July 23.

The incident came to fore after her parents attempted self-immolation in front of the State assembly in Bhubaneswar on November 24.

The State government ordered a high court-monitored SIT investigation after the issue rocked the assembly for several days.

The opposition BJP has been demanding a CBI probe and dismissal of Agriculture Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo charging him with shielding the prime accused in the little girl’s kidnap and murder case.