Final charge sheet in Pipili rape, murder case filed

The crime branch police of Odisha

today filed the fourth and final charge sheet in the Pipili

rape and murder case.Investigating police officer Ramesh Chandra Sethy

filed the final report before the Pipili court in which the

attempt to murder charge earlier against key accused Prashant

Pradhan was modified to murder charge. "We converted the section 307 levelled against the key

accused to section 302 of IPC after the victim died during

treatment in SCB medical college and hospital of Cuttack on

June 21 this year," Sethy said.The post mortem report of the victim was also attached

with the final report.He was also charged under section 341 (wrongful

restraint), 354 (assault to outrage the modesty of a woman),

506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention).The victim a 19-year Dalit girl of Arjungoda village

of Pipili in Puri district was allegedly raped and an attempt

was made on her life on November 29 last year. After battling

for her life for over six months in coma the victim died.The investigating police officers had expressed

inability to substantiate the allegation of rape since the

victim had been in coma since she was found in an unconscious

state and her statement could not be recorded.Besides the key accused, the crime branch police had

also submitted charge sheets against three other accused, a

police officer and three doctors in the case.While only the four accused have been arrested, the

police have not arrested the police officer and three doctors,

who are booked under charges of SC and ST (Prevention of

Atrocities) Act.Prashant's younger brother Sukanta and two of their

associates were also arrested in January this year.