SIT arrests 18-year-old for Nayagarh girl’s rape, murder

BHUBANESWAR: The special investigation team (SIT) on Sunday arrested an 18-year-old youth for the alleged rape and murder of a five-year-old girl in Nayagarh in July. The accused, a Plus III student, is a neighbour of the deceased, the SIT said.
The arrest comes a day after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) recommended that the Odisha government should hand over the probe to a central agency.
“We have found adequate evidence, backed by scientific and forensic investigations, against the accused. The motive of the murder was sexual assault. We had found semen stains on the girl’s dress,” an SIT officer said.
SIT rules out organ theft in Nayagarh case
The SIT also ruled out allegation of organ theft behind the girl’s murder. “We have verified the allegations about an organ harvesting racket, but they have no basis. It was a clear case of sexual assault and murder,” the officer added.
The development follows protest from opposition BJP, which held a padayatra from Bhubaneswar to the deceased’s village in Nayagarh district on Sunday, demanding a CBI probe and resignation of cabinet minister Arun Sahoo for allegedly shielding an accused.
All eyes were on the SIT after the state government handed over the probe to it on November 28 following a massive public outcry and political backlash over alleged inaction by the Nayagarh district police. It came in the backdrop of the girl’s parents trying to immolate themselves in front of the assembly while it was in session, citing inaction by police and an alleged attempt to shield the accused.
The SIT zeroed in on the accused after questioning several villagers in the last few days. “A number of persons, mostly acquaintances of the girl’s family and neighbours, were questioned. When we interrogated the prime suspect, he sensed trouble and told a section of the media that the SIT was offering him Rs 5 lakh to take the blame,” the officer said.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)