Odisha government agrees for SIT probe into Nayagarh minor murder case

BHUBANESWAR: With the opposition BJP and Congress continued attack on the state government inside and outside the state assembly over murder of a 5-year old girl in Nayagarh, chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday agreed to investigate the matter by a special investigation team (SIT).
“If SIT investigation is what is required, the state government will take steps in this regard and do it immediately.My government is always committed for free and fair investigation and we always want justice to be done,” Naveen, who joined assembly through videoconference, announced amid uproar.
The SIT comprises a team of specialized officers, who have been trained to probe serious crimes.
Naveen said he has deeply saddened by the incident and stressed that his government will “always stand for rule of law.” As the state assembly failed to transact any business for second consecutive day over the issue, the chief minister requested the opposition members to cooperate and participate in the proceedings.
Naveen’s announcement for a SIT probe failed to end the deadlock in the assembly as the BJP MLAs remained firm on their demands and continued sloganeering in the well of the house pushing for their demand for resignation of agriculture minister Arun Sahoo and handing over the matter to CBI. The Congress, however, did not join the protest in the post-lunch session, even as the party had strongly pitched for court-monitored SIT into the sensational crime in the pre-lunch session.
“The law and order has been completely collapsed in the state. The state government is only concerned to save the image of the chief minister and the ministers. We had never demanded SIT inquiry. We are firm on our demand for a CBI probe into the matter and expulsion of the agriculture minister from the cabinet,” said leader of opposition Pradipta Naik told media.
Congress leader Taraprasad Bahinipati said though they had demanded for a court-monitored SIT probe into the incident, the party has not stepped back from demanding resignation of Sahoo from the cabinet.
Though the state government had earlier ordered a crime branch probe into the matter, the opposition parties rejected it alleging that crime branch cannot probe it impartially unless Sahoo steps down from the cabinet.
Prior to Naveen’s announcement for a SIT probe, Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra lashed out at the state government for trying to shield the agriculture minister in the incident.
“Though you (speaker) had categorically said that allegations were made against a minister in the incident, the minister of state (home), in his statement on Wednesday, has not replied anything in it. Even as the agriculture minister on Thursday said he is innocent, it will be known only if there will be an impartial inquiry,” said Mishra.
State home department sources said the state government would soon issue terms of reference for the SIT probe into the incident.