Desist from Destroying the Corpus Delicti

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

In the crime Naveen Patnaik government has committed against the school going kids and expectant mothers of Orissa, corpus delicti is a split-pulse called Harad Dali, poisoned with Khesari, wormy substance and fungi. It is deliberately done so because the poisonous components having no value in terms of money, add to the volume of weight of the Harad Dali when mixed therewith and thereby ensures maximum profit to the suppliers chosen by the authorities for the purpose in dubious manner.

This felony having come to light by a ruling party discarded minister Debasis Nayak, in an attempt to hoodwink the people, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik asked the vigilance police to probe into the matter. Curiously, vigilance conducted sample probes in only four of Orissa’s thirty districts, including the CM’s Ganjam district but excluding the district of Kendrapara of which Nayak had told the Press. This partial probe, however, was done in educated and advanced districts where inhabitants are supposed to be more conscious. The undernourished districts, specifically the tribal dominated highland districts were not touched by the vigilance police even though this felony could naturally have occurred there unbridled and in massive abundance.

However, the haphazard investigation also fished out fearsome treachery with the treasury. The CM has tried to impress upon the public that officials in the field are responsible for the unveiled crime committed against the children and carrying women. He has embarrassed three of the Collectors and managed the scenario in respect to his own district. Yet, as people are sure that the crime could never have been possible without political patrons, to save his own skin, he has jettisoned the Women & Child Development Minister, even though the vigilance had favored her with a clean chit.

Such shenanigans were meant for misleading the Assembly, slated to start its session on 14 February.

But in the meantime a public interest litigation has been preferred before the Orissa High Court seeking a mandamus for investigation through the CBI.

The fidgeting government has therefore taken steps to destroy the corpus delicti – in this case – the adulterated and poisonous Harad Dali, which its chosen agents have supplied through out the State.

This must be stopped. If Naveen Patnaik is not the real culprit, he must ask his administration to stop destruction of the supplied Dali and preserve the entire stock on as is where is basis and on war footing arrange for forensic test of the stock on spots at any cost. The High Court, because it has admitted the PIL, must ensure this before hearing the government.

This crime must be punished sans any lenience.

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