Journalism of Courage
Three months after Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil announced in the Assembly that the case of mysterious death of three Dalit minor girls in Bhandara districts Murmadi village would be transferred to CBI,the agency has written to the state government expressing inability to probe the matter due to staff shortage. It has returned the case papers. The girls aged 10,nine and six were found dead outside the village on February 16. Soon after the bodies were discovered,police claimed the girls were sexually assaulted and killed. Later,however,there were several flip-flops with police ruling out rape. Patil confirmed CBI had told the state government it was not in a position to take up the case at the moment. The state government had offered CBI help,including manpower, he said,adding that state police were doing a fine job and should be allowed to continue the investigation. Lakhani police have,however,failed to make a breakthrough after six months. Sources said CBI was facing a serious manpower crunch and was struggling to take up new cases.
