Chargesheet in 60 days: Swift or hurried?

BHUBANESWAR: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police may have been “swift” in submitting chargesheet in flat 60 days but it begs for some answers. When the statutory period for submission of chargesheet is 120 days, what was the hurry to wrap it up in half the time is something the investigating agency may soon find pretty difficult to explain. In fact, the agency itself admitted that victim’s medical condition was a challenge since her statement could not be recorded. “What if she recovers and is in a position to recount the whole incident within the next 60 days,” analysts wondered even as the Crime Branch ruled out rape of the Pipili girl. Insiders felt that CB could have explored options such as narco tests or brain mapping to extend the scope of the probe but instead, it decided to complete the investigation in two months. By charging just two and that too with lighter offences may have left them off the hook. The Crime Branch, on its part, said it has kept the probe open. The investigating agency cited 67 witnesses, including experts and doctors. Since the victim’s comatose state prevented the investigators from recording her statement, probe into the case will remain open to examine the victim when she is in a condition to record her statement, the CB said. Besides, to examine the culpability of local police and doctors, the investigation will remain open, it added.JILTED LOVE: According to CB, love was central to the whole incident. Main accused Prashant Pradhan, the investigating agency said, had decided to kill the victim since he felt he was jilted. The CB submitted that Prashant allegedly was friendly with the victim and had developed intimacy with her, but a few months before the incident, he got an impression that the girl was getting close to others and avoiding him. This probably led to a sense of betrayal  and triggered the decision to kill. The CB said Prashant had confided it in one of his associates. On November 29, he is alleged to have used the ‘dupatta’ of the victim to strangulate her which caused hypoxia. When a tractor approached, he ran away.