OP Impact: IO removed in ‘Nirmala’ case

Post News Network

Bhubaneswar, January 15: The commissionerate police Thrusday shunted the investigating officer (IO) in the case where a nursing student has alleged that the son of former Deogarh MLA Subash Chandra Panigrahi had maintained physical relationship with her on the pretext of marriage and also caused miscarriage, after the victim sat on a hunger strike in front of the Commissionerate Police office.
The victim, Nirmala (name changed), had blamed investigating officer Gayatri Mohapatra for a botched up probe because of which the accused, Alok Panigrahi, an engineering graduate, is still at large even two months after the FIR (341/2014) was filed. The delay gave enough time to the accused to file for an anticipatory bail before the High Court. Nirmala thus decided to stage a hunger strike.
The shunting follows a report in the January 15 edition of
Orissa Post about the victim moving from pillar to post for justice.
Bijayinee Malla, inspector in-charge of Mahila Police station, has been assigned to the case. “We will arrest the accused soon,” Malla said.
Alok Panigrahi cheated Nirmala on the pretext of marriage while maintaining physical relationship with her for more than a year, according to police. Panigrahi allegedly gave her a medicine without her knowledge while she was pregnant, causing miscarriage. Cases under 493 (cohabitation in belief of lawful marriage), 470 (forged document), 313 (causing miscarriage without women consent) and 506 (criminal intimidation) were registered November 11 against Panigrahi. Nirmala ended her hunger strike Thursday after additional commissioner of police PS Ranpise decided to move the investigation officer and also said that the statement of the accused’s friend will be recorded under section 162 of CrPC. The previous investigating officer had not recorded the statement of the accused’s friend despite Nirmala’s insistence.
“Panigrahi had kept me locked up at plot number 357 in Nayapalli, during my pregnancy period. His friend confirmed to the police on the spot during investigation that the accused took me there. Yet, the police did not record his statement,” Nirmala said. In the evening, assistant commissioner of police TK Pattanaik (sub division I) offered Nirmala orange juice and promised to expedite the case.
“Once the statement is recorded, we would be able to contest the anticipatory bail application,” said Sushmita Dash, a member of the Orissa Nari Sakti Samiti, which has been supporting Nirmala.
“It’s the first step towards justice,” said Anoop Pareda, a lawyer at the sessions court who has been advising Nirmala.