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Orissa government seeks winding up of judicial probe into Anjana Mishra gangrape

The Orissa government has moved the high court seeking withdrawal of the Justice P K Mishra commission probing the sensational Anjana Mishra gangrape case in view of the investigation of the matter being done by the CBI.

In an affidavit filed by state home secretary Ajit Tripathy, the government contended that there was no need for continuation of the one-man commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act as the CBI had taken up the case for investigation.

The affidavit said the scope and ambit of investigation by the CBI and the terms of reference of the judicial commission had substantial overlapping areas and therefore the continuation of the commission was not necessary. It also claimed that there had been significant progress in the investigation after it was handed over to the central investigating agency.

Though the then chief minister J B Patnaik appointed sitting high court judge Mishra to head the commission on January 16, his successor Giridhar Gamang requested the Centre to direct the CBI to investigate the rape case in addition to the attempted rape case of the victim against former state advocate general Indrajit Ray.

Soon after the government announced its decision to go for a CBI probe, the Orissa high court also directed the CBI to probe into the gangrape of Mishra as prayed by her in her writ petition.

Mishra, estranged wife of an IFS officer, was allegedly gangraped near Barang on January 9 night while she was on her way to Cuttack from Bhubaneswar with a journalist friend to meet her lawyer.

UNI

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