Rayagada: The pronouncement of verdict in the sensational murder case of former Tikiri upper primary school teacher Itishree Pradhan has been postponed to April 26. The court was scheduled to pronounce the verdict today. However, in the absence of the judge in the court today, the verdict will be pronounced on April 26. The hearing of the case ended on April 4.
Itishree succumbed to injuries after being set ablaze in October 2013.
Born in Puri, Pradhan was working in the upper primary school at Tikiri in Rayagada district on contractual basis for a monthly salary of Rs 4000. During her initial period of posting, she had found it difficult to live there. Inspector of Schools Netranadan Dandasena had assured her of every help and had sought sexual favors which she had opposed strongly.
The lady teachers’s ordeal started after she lodged an FIR against Dandasena at Tikiri police station. She was pressurised relentlessly to withdraw the complaint.
Irked over her refusal, the assailant, who is currently in the CBI wanted list, had torched her saying that she had to pay the price for not withdrawing the FIR. She was admitted to a private hospital in Vishakahapatnam where she succumbed to her burn injuries five days after the incident.
Though the State government had ordered the Crime Branch to investigate the murder case, the State agency had reportedly failed to make any major breakthrough in the case.
The Supreme Court, while hearing a PIL filed by Bangalore based Odia law graduate Sudipta Lenka, had handed over the inquiry to CBI in January 2015.