Bhubaneswar: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday submitted the final report on the sensational lady teacher Itishree Pradhan murder case in the Supreme Court. The probe report on the murder case was submitted in a sealed envelope. The final hearing of the case will take place in February 2018. Earlier, the CBI had submitted the preliminary probe report and status report in the apex court. However, the investigative agency was yet to arrest the prime accused in the case.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a law student Sudipta Lenka in Bengaluru, the Supreme Court on January 20, 2015 had ordered the CBI probe into murder of Itishree Pradhan. Itishree, a young school teacher of Tikiri Primary School in Rayagada district, was set on fire on night of October 27, 2013 by some unidentified miscreants. She was rushed to the Rayagada District Headquarters Hospital with severe burn injuries.
Later, she was shifted to the Seven Hills hospital in Vishakhapatnam where she succumbed to her injuries after six days. In her dying declaration recorded by Odisha police, Itishree had alleged that she was set on fire by some unidentified miscreants after she brought allegations of sexual harassments against some local government officials and political leaders.
The incident had created nationwide uproar raising eyebrows on the efficiency of police administration in the state. Anticipating threat to her life from the miscreants, Itishree had knocked the door of district education officer, Rayagada district collector, school and mass education minister and chief minister Naveen Patnaik seeking protection. However, despite her repeated requests no steps were taken to save her life.
