Puri: A court on Friday remanded two of the
accused in the alleged gangrape of a dalit girl at Pipili to
judicial custody while Pradip Maharathy, who resigned as
Agriculture minister yesterday held a "Swabhiman Yatra" in the
Pipili assembly constituency seeking people's support.
Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Pipili,
Meenakhi Priyadarshani rejected bail petitions of Premananda
Nayak and Abua Pradhan and sent them to judicial custody in
Nimapada sub-jail till January 27.
Both Nayak and Pradhan, named in the FIR filed by the
victim's father, were earlier arrested by crime branch of
police and produced before the court today.
The prime accused in the incident Prasanta Pradhan alias
Pasei was still in crime branch custody.
The police have arrested all the four accused persons
allegedly involved in the rape and attempt to murder of the
19-year-old dalit girl from Arjungada village under Pipili
police station limit. Earlier, another accused Purna Chandra
Swain was sent to jail after his arrest.
The girl was allegedly raped and there was an attempt
to eliminate her on November 28, 2011, police sources said.
Meanwhile, a day after resigning as Agriculture minister
Pradip Maharathy took out a "Swabhiman Yatra" in his Pipili
assembly constituency seeking support of the people.
Maharathy toured Delang and Pipili areas of his
constituency in a motor-cycle procession. "Have patience,
truth will prevail soon," the five-time MLA assured his
supporters who were emotional over his resignation.
PTI
First Published: Friday, January 20, 2012, 19:18