Bhubaneswar, May 22: The CBI today allegedly interrogated former Biju Janata Dal MP from Koraput Jairam Pangi at the Rayagada circuit house, around 500km from here, for nearly four hours in connection with the murder of schoolteacher Itishree Pradhan three years ago.

Itishree, the 28-year-old siksha sahayak in an upper-primary school at Tikiri, was an alleged victim of sexual harassment. She was set on fire on the school premises on October 27, 2013. She died at a private hospital in Visakhapatnam on November 1 after battling for her life for about four days.

In her dying declaration, Itishree had named Pangi and accused him of supporting the alleged perpetrator of the crime Netrananda Dandasena, a school sub-inspector. Later, the issue snowballed into a political controversy with the Opposition accusing Pangi, the then Lok Sabha member from Koraput, of protecting Dandasena.

A local court in Rayagada has already sentenced Dandasena to life term in the murder case mainly on the basis of the report of the state crime branch, which had probed the case before it was handed over to the CBI.

Pangi, however, denied that he was interrogated by the CBI. "I went to the circuit house with my family members where the CBI officials are also staying. My political opponents are trying to defame me. However, if the CBI calls me, I will co-operate," he said.

Sources revealed that no room had been booked in the name of Pangi in the circuit house today.