Pipili gangrape case: Judicial probe ordered

BHUBANESWAR: Bowing to public outcry over the ‘gangrape’ of a Dalit girl in Pipili and the alleged involvement of some local BJD members, the State Government on Friday ordered a judicial probe. It would be conducted by a retired judge of the Orissa High Court. However, a tough-talking Congress rejected the probe calling it a prolonged affair and thus would turn out to be ineffectual in the end. Demanding a CBI probe, the party demanded resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Announcing the Government decision, Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik told mediapersons here that Justice PK Mohanty will head the commission. It will submit report within three months.The decision to conduct a judicial probe into the rape of the 19-year-old was taken after Home Secretary UN Behera submitted a report on the incident. Meanwhile, the Government suspended the IIC of the Pipili Police Station Anil Champatiray after it was found that the officer did not register a case a day after the alleged rape which took place on November 28, 2011.The police registered the case only on January 9, 2012, after the Orissa High Court and Orissa Human Rights Commission (OHRC) intervened.Champatiray was transferred from Pipili Police Station to Puri Police Reserve on Wednesday, an action which was criticised by women’s organisations as taking a ‘soft attitude’  against the erring police officer.Agriculture Minister Pradip Maharathy, who represents Pipili, has also come under attack over the incident with the girl’s family and women bodies accusing him of shielding the culprits. The Congress has demanded that the minister be removed forthwith for allegedly sheltering the culprits in his farmhouse.Women organisations, Dalit and tribal bodies had demanded setting up of a judicial commission to probe the alleged rape as the girl in coma struggles for survival at the ICU of SCB Medical in Cuttack. Earlier, the Government had handed over the investigation into the case to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of  the Crime Branch. The CID team started its probe two days ago.