Pari Murder Case: Statement Of MoS In Odisha Assembly Unfortunate, Says Dharmendra Pradhan

Bhubaneswar: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday made a veiled attack on the State government over the brutal murder of Pari, a five year girl from Naragarh district whose skeletal remains were found 10 days after she went missing from near her house.

While talking to reporters today, Pradhan termed the Statement made by the Minister of State (Home) in Odisha Assembly over the incident as ‘unfortunate’.

“The statement of the Minister of State has certainly hurt the sentiments of people. What were the investigators (of the case) doing in the last four months. What drove the deceased girl’s parents to attempt suicide in front of the Odisha Assembly,” asked Pradhan.

Pradhan raised serious question over the veracity of investigation carried out by the Odisha Police in the case so far.

The murder of the minor girl has now sparked massive public outrage following suicide bid by her parents in front of the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday.

The Union Minister further said, “If whatever has been reported by the media pertaining to the case are found to be true, it is certainly a matter of grave concern. The case should be probed thoroughly. Those involved in the heinous crime should be punished,” Pradhan added.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Odisha government on Wednesday admitted that the five-year-old Pari was in fact kidnapped and murdered.

Minister of State (Home), Dibya Shankar Mishra said on the floor of the house, “The victim’s father from Jadupur village in Nayagarh, had lodged a complaint after the girl went missing on July 14, 2020. A case was registered on the same day. With the help of VHF waves and sniffer dogs, on July 23, the skeletal remains of the victim stuffed in a bag were traced in the backyard of their house.”

The Minister finally admitted that circumstantial evidence pointed out that the minor girl was in fact kidnapped and murdered.

Following massive protests by Opposition parties, the Odisha government was forced to order a probe by CID, Crime Branch yesterday.