Jamshedpur, Feb. 4: The criminal investigation department (CID) today began a probe into the Sonari mother-daughter rape case.

CID sleuths visited the Baridih De-addiction Centre where the 13-year-old girl and her mother, both rape victims, are undergoing treatment.

On December 17, police arrested four persons — the girl’s father T.K. Mukherjee, her maternal uncles Deepanker Moitra and Deepak Moitra and Tarit Dey — from Sonari and Kadma for allegedly sexually exploiting the teenaged girl after getting her addicted to drugs. Tarit Dey was an employee of Bank of India, DBMS branch and a friend of the girl’s uncles.

Police sources said the CID probe was initiated at the behest of additional director-general of police (CID) G.B. Mohapatro. “The relatives of the accused and members of the Jamshedpur Bank Employees’ Association had submitted a petition to the CID office in Ranchi, expressing doubt over the police investigation.

“The police have left several important questions related to the alleged sex scandal unanswered after the arrest of the accused,” sources said, adding that CID sleuths would also scan the role of the police in the case.

A CID official, on conditions of anonymity, said: “There is no doubt that the girl had been sexually exploited for a prolonged period. This has been confirmed by the medical examination. But the police were supposed to establish the circumstances under which the girl was exploited and whether those put behind the bar are the real culprits.”

The official refused to divulge details of today’s interrogation of the girl and her mother. “This is just the beginning of the probe. Once the investigation is complete, the facts will be made public.”