Now Reading: Odisha Police Probes Face Court Scrutiny Over Two High-Profile Cases
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Odisha Police Probes Face Court Scrutiny Over Two High-Profile Cases
Odisha’s Crime Branch and Commissionerate Police face scrutiny after a court criticised the investigation into textbook errors and a chargesheet dropped nine of 20 accused in the murder of GRP constable Soumya…
The Story in Brief
Odisha’s Crime Branch and Commissionerate Police face scrutiny after a court criticised the investigation into textbook errors and a chargesheet dropped nine of 20 accused in the murder of GRP constable Soumya Ranjan Swain. A special court in Cuttack granted bail to former SCERT director Manoj Kumar Padhy, saying investigators had produced no material showing personal gain or checked suspicious financial transactions involving him or his family. Padhy faces charges linked to approving school textbook manuscripts without factual verification.
In the murder case, the Crime Branch chargesheeted 11 people. It said video footage, mobile location checks and other inquiries found no evidence placing the remaining nine at the scene. Their arrests by Balianta police have put the local investigation under scrutiny.
The Indian Opinion
The easy narratives are that bail proves the textbook case was fabricated, or that dropping nine accused automatically vindicates the first police team. Neither follows from the record. The court pointed to missing financial evidence, while the Crime Branch says it used footage and phone data before reducing the accused list. The fair test is whether the trial record supplies a defensible evidentiary chain in both cases, not whether early arrests or a tough public promise wins headlines.
Source: newindianexpress.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
