CB to challenge Pipili acquittal verdict in HC

A day after Pipili MLA Pradeep Maharathy tendered his resignation from the state cabinet over his comments on the acquittal verdict on the 2011-12 rape and murder case of a 19-year-old girl, the State Crime Branch police here Monday said they would challenge the lower court verdict in the High Court.

Briefing reporters here, Crime Branch ADG Santosh Upadhaya maintained that the prosecution has sufficient evidences and material to ensure that the accused persons in the case face conviction.

Refusing to comment over the court verdict, the senior cop said the case would be properly and effectively conducted in the High Court.

"We have already appointed a special public prosecutor to conduct the sensitive case in the High Court," the ADG said adding that the Director of Public Prosecutor had already been moved in the matter to challenge the Bhubaneswar Additional District Sessions courts verdict.

The State Advocate General (AG) would also be consulted in this case, he added.

One Prashant Behera and his brother Sushant were arrested in the Pipili case but they were exonerated by the Bhubaneswar court last month observing that the prosecution (crime branch) failed to adduce clinching evidence against the arrested persons during the trial.

The girl, who was allegedly raped in November 2011, died in June 2012 after remaining in vegetative state in hospital.