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More arrests soon in nun rape case

BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa government on Sunday termed the rape of the 28-year-old Catholic nun at K. Nuagaon in Kandhamal district an unfortunate incident and appealed to the victim to cooperate with the police in solving the case.

Talking to presspersons here, Home Secretary T.K. Mishra said the rape was an “unfortunate and agonising incident.”

“I am extremely sorry for the incident. It should not have happened.” He appealed to the victim to meet him or the Inspector General of Police of the Crime Branch or the Director General of Police to help solve the case.

Mr. Mishra informed that the State government’s Resident Commissioner at New Delhi was in touch with the nun who had taken shelter in a church in the national capital.

Security and all assistance would be provided to the victim when she comes to the State, he said. “Whoever is involved in the crime will be brought to book shortly. He will be given exemplary punishment. Four arrests have been made in this case. Very shortly we are going to arrest a few more in this connection,” Mr. Mishra said.

The nun was severely beaten up along with a Catholic priest by a mob comprising about 40 persons on August 25 and one of them raped her.

The incident took place when communal violence was at its peak in Kandhamal following the killing of VHP leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati on August 23.

Mr. Mishra said a total of three cases of rape and attempted rape, including the rape of the nun, were reported from Kandhamal district so far.

In two other cases, a Hindu woman was raped in Tikabali area of the district by a Hindu man and the culprit had been arrested. The third one, reported from Phulbani Sadar, pertained to an attempt to rape and the religious identity of the victim had not been established yet, he said.

Responding to reports which said that the Hindu girl who was burnt alive at an orphanage in Bargarh district was raped before being killed, Mr. Mishra said there was solid evidence to show that she was not raped.

He urged the Centre to station a CRPF battalion permanently in the State. The situation was improving in Kandhamal district with deployment of additional forces, he said.

Referring to the Communist Party of India (Maoist) owning responsibility for the murder of Swami Lakshmanananda, Mr. Mishra said the government would not go by anyone’s claim but properly investigate the case to bring the guilty to book.