Odisha: BJD Demands Crime Branch Probe into Pattamundai Self-Immolation Case

Bhubaneswar: Odisha opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday demanded a Crime Branch probe into the self-immolation death of a girl at Kathiapada village under Pattamundai Rural police station limits in Kendrapara district.

Senior BJD leader Pratap Keshari Deb, during a press conference on Thursday, alleged that the Pattamundai incident exposed the negligence and incompetence of the district police administration.

“We came to know that the victim’s father had lodged a complaint about the blackmail by the victim’s boyfriend. However, the on-duty Assistant Sub-Inspector did not register the complaint and instead advised him to block the boyfriend’s phone number and delete the objectionable photos. Six months after the incident, the girl was forced to take the extreme step. This is truly unfortunate,” said Deb.

The senior BJD leader further stated that as soon as the victim’s father found her dead in the house, he immediately informed the police, who allegedly reached the spot after around four hours.

Deb alleged that had the ASI received the complaint and investigated the matter, the victim girl would not have taken the extreme step on Wednesday.

“I urge Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi through the media to immediately ensure an investigation into the matter by the crime branch. The Director General of Police, Odisha, should also immediately form a crime branch team and launch an investigation into the case,” urged the senior BJD leader.

Meanwhile, the Kendrapara Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kataria on Thursday told media persons that following the allegations of the victim’s father, the concerned ASI Sailendra Mohan Palei has been transferred to ensure a transparent and impartial probe into the matter. Kataria also revealed that, as per preliminary investigations, it appears that the girl had committed suicide.

In a fresh case of self-immolation, the girl student died on Wednesday after setting herself on fire in her residence, allegedly due to blackmail by her boyfriend in the Pattamundai area of Kendrapara district.

IANS