Bhubaneswar: Orissa Chief Minister Naveen
Patnaik on Thursday sought a report on the alleged rape of a dalit
girl in Puri district, as the opposition parties demanded a
CBI or judicial enquiry into the incident besides seeking
resignation of Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy.
The chief minister's action came a day after Orissa
High Court directed to shift the girl from Capitol hospital to
the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack with adequate
security.
"The chief minister has asked the home department to
submit a report on the Pipili incident where a dalit girl is
allegedly raped," Chief Secretary B K Patnaik told reporters.
Stating that the in-charge officer of Pipili police
station in Puri district had been trasnfered and the case was
handed over to the CID, the chief secretary said that the
state government had taken the incident seriously.
The 19-year-old dalit girl from Arjunagada village
under Pipili police station was allegedly raped by a group of
youths from the locality on November 28, 2011 after she dared
to become a witness in another rape case involving her friend.
The victim's friend had meanwhile committed suicide,
police said.
Opposition Congress and BJP demanded demanded a CBI or
judicial probe into the incident while seeking resignation of
agriculture minister who was charged with protecting the four
accused.
The minister rejected the charge and said "I have not
given protection to any one and never tried to put pressure on
the police. I too demand justice."
The women wing of the BJP too held a demonstration
here demanding resignation of the minister and sought CBI
probe.
"Though the girl was raped on November 18, 2011, the
police refused to register a case. Now after intervention of
the Orissa High Court, they (Police) registred a case on
January 9, 2012," BJP leader Archana Nayak said.
Adivasi Surakshya Parisahd and Orissa State Scheduled
Caste-Scheduled Tribe Youth & Student Council also demanded
resignation of the minister.
"We have already moved the National Commission for
Schedule Caste seeking its immediate intervention as the state
government has failed to give justice to the dalit girl," said
it’s President Haldhar Sethy.
PTI
First Published: Friday, January 13, 2012, 00:14