Pari Murder Case: Demand For Arun Sahoo’s Resignation Rocks Odisha Assembly

Bhubaneswar: The winter session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly today witnessed uproarious scenes as opposition BJP and Congress members created ruckus in the House demanding resignation of minister Arun Kumar Sahoo in connection with the murder of five-year-old girl Pari of Jadupur village in Nayagarh district.

As the House assembled for the today, the BJP and Congress members resorted to sloganeering near the Speaker’s podium demanding the minister’s resignation. The BJP MLAs were seen holding placards and banners featuring photos of Minister Sahoo with accused Babuli Nayak.

Amid pandemonium, Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro adjourned the House initially for 20 minutes and then till 3 PM.

“We will not allow functioning of the House till resignation of Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo. The Crime Branch probe order into the case is not acceptable as such investigations in many cases were ordered by the Chief Minister in the past. However, reports of the probes were never placed in the Assembly,” said Opposition chief whip and BJP MLA Mohan Majhi while speaking to reporters outside the House.

On the other hand, Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati demanded a High Court-monitored SIT probe in the matter.

Notably, the Odisha Government has directed the State Crime Branch to probe into the murder of the child. The deceased girl’s father Ashok Sahoo and mother Saudamini had on November 24 attempted self-immolation outside the Odisha Legislative Assembly demanding justice for their daughter. Alleging police inaction in the case, the couple accused minister Arun Kumar Sahoo of shielding accused Babuli Nayak. They claimed that Nayak is a close aide of the Nayagarh MLA.

The child had gone missing while playing in front of her house on July 14. Later on July 23, her decomposed body was found packed in a sack behind the house near a pond. Her parents alleged that Nayak had kidnapped and murdered their daughter.

The Nayagarh Sadar police had registered a case under Sections 363, 364, 302, and 201 of the IPC on the basis of a complaint lodged by the couple.