The Odisha High Court on Friday directed the state government to complete within four weeks its probe into a 2017 gangrape case and laid down the framework for a court-monitored Special Investigation Team. In October 2017, a 14-year-old girl alleged rape by four central forces personnel. The family described the perpetrators as “kabra police”, a local term for the dark green uniform with camouflage patches. For the next three months, even as her case rocked the state, the family says they struggled against police attempts to “brainwash” the child to change her account of rape to a “love affair”. In December, the girl herself said she was offered a bribe of Rs 90,000 by a high-ranking state police officer, an allegation he denied. After the girl’s death at her home in January last year, the Congress announced a state-wide bandh, while the BJP called for a 12-hour-long hartal. The body was buried in the family grounds as per the rites of the household’s Alekha Dharma. Then BJD MP Tathagata Satpathy had accused the state police and government doctors of “celebrating” the girl’s death, in a regional newspaper column. “Nearly two years have passed, but the reason behind the victim’s death is unknown. No final report has been submitted by Crime Branch. We had demanded a CBI probe," said petitioner in the matter and former BJP MP Kharabela Swain to journalists. “Earlier the case was heard by then Chief Justice Vineet Saran, who was elevated to the Supreme Court. The present Chief Justice K S Zhaveri has given four weeks time instead of the three months the state government was asking to complete the probe. “There were many petitioners in this matter, most of whom have withdrawn. Now, the victim’s mother and I are the petitioners. The court has also asked both of us to give the names of six officers, from CBI, NIA, Intelligence Bureau and the Odisha Police. The court will pick three officers, two from Centre and one from the state, to oversee the matter. “The matter will be heard on September 6”, he said.
