Kandhamal nun rape case adjourned to next month

Cuttack: Trial of the Kandhamal nun rape case, scheduled to resume in Cuttack district sessions court today after a gap of almost four months, could not begin as the investigating officer (IO) did not turn up due to indisposition.

Trial in the case is being taken up in the Cuttack court since August 2010 after it was transferred here from Phulbani district court as per the orders of Orissa High Court. But the proceedings were stalled since January when the then Cuttack district judge, Justice B K Mishra was elevated to the bench of the High Court as an additional judge.

Shatrughna Pujary joined as Cuttack district judge and posted the matter to be heard today. But the case was again adjourned to next month when the prosecution counsel filed a time petition mentioning that the IO, crime branch DSP Dillip Kumar Mohanty, was indisposed.

Ever since the Cuttack court began trial, cross examination and deposition of 28 prosecution witnesses are over and after the cross examination of Mohanty by defense counsel, the cross examination of defense witnesses would begin.