Prof (Dr) Y Paiti Raju of King George Hospital (KGH), Vishakhapatnam, who had conducted the post mortem of the deceased lady teacher, ruled out any possibility of suicide. Besides Dr Raju, two other witnesses also recorded their statements in the court. They were police videographer Debi Prasad Patnaik and dismissed police officer and former IIC of Tikiri Police Station Sujit Kumar Sai.
“The court will record the statements of 12 witnesses in the fourth phase deposition that will continue till February 11. All case records would be handed over to the CBI by the end of the day,” said Rajendra Prasad Sahu, counsel for the Crime Branch. It is to be noted that the Supreme Court, in its order on January 20, asked the CBI to probe the incident and submit a report within two months.
The murder of Itishree Pradhan, a teacher at Tikiri primary school in Rayagada district, became a major political issue considering the fact that the victim had submitted her grievance at all administrative branches, including Chief Minister’s Office, but her grievance was not redressed.
Finally, she was burnt alive under mysterious circumstances. She had suffered 90 per cent burn injuries and took her last breath on November 1, 2013, while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Vishakhapatnam. The State government, in its action, had suspended Netrananda Dandasena, District Inspector of schools and two other police personnel. However, the prime accused in this murder case is yet to nab.