Bhubaneswar.Dec.24: Seven years after the sensational Pipli gang rape and murder case which had created a statewide uproar, the key two accused in the case have been acquitted by a trial court on Monday.

The court of the additional district judge, Bhubaneswar today acquitted the two accused brothers—Sukant Pradhan and Prashant—due to lack of evidence against them.

Notably, the 19-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly gangraped at Arjungoda village in Pipli police limits of Puri district on November 29, 2011. The victim was allegedly targeted as she was the prime witness in an alleged gang rape case that took place in her village in 2008 in which her friend was the victim.

While the police allegedly refused to register a case in the matter initially, they registered an FIR on January 9, 2012 after the intervention of State Human Rights Commission.

The victim died at the S.C.B Medical College and Hospital on June 21, 2012 after spending more than four months in coma. The case had triggered a political storm in the state leading to the resignation of former agriculture minister.

Meanwhile, the crime branch police, which had submitted charge sheets against eight persons in this case, including attempt to murder charges against two, have decided to file a supplementary charge-sheet, converting the charges from Section 307 to Section 302 of IPC.