Koraput gangrape case: Orissa HC seeks probe report from state government

CUTTACK: Orissa high court on Friday directed state government to file a detail status report on the investigation into the alleged gangrape of a minor tribal girl by four uniformed men in Koraput district on October 10.
Taking cognizance of a PIL filed by a lawyer Gautam Siddique seeking probe into the incident by independent agencies like CBI or NIA, a bench of chief justice Vineet Saran and justice B R Sarangi has directed the state government to submit detail report on progress of the probe made by police.
"The court has directed state government to submit the report within a week," said Siddique. The next hearing of the case will be held on November 21.
The petitioner has cited that a tribal girl, studying in class IX was allegedly gangraped by four unidentified persons, dressed in uniform, in dense forest under Potangi police limits in Koraput district on October 10. Cuttack based lawyer Gautam Siddique has filed the public interest litigation raising concern over the capability of state police in probing the matter efficiently.
He has contended in the petition that the crime spot comes under Maoist zone and security forces like CRPF, BSF, state police, COBRA are also deployed in the district. Along with the security personnel, Maoists cadres also wear similar dress to camouflage fatigues. Hence, after the incident the security forces and Maoist cadres are under scanner.
The petitioner has cited that the state police are neither competent nor equipped to probe into the incident as they have practically lost control of the Maoist infested areas. In such view, a fair investigation by the state police is not possible. So independent agencies like Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) or National Investigating Agency(NIA) should be handed over investigation of the case as they more capable to unravel the truth and nab the real culprits.
Odisha government, DGP, Director general of NIA, SP of CBI(Bhubaneswar) and Superintendent of police(SP) Koraput have been made parties in the case.