Three arrested in nun rape case in Kerala

Kizhancherry (Kerala), Oct 13 : Police have arrested three more suspects in connection with the alleged rape of a Catholic nun in riot-hit Kandhamal district of Orissa.

The three accused were picked up from Kizhancherry village in Palakkad district of Kerala.

The suspects, identified as Mitu Patnaik, Saroj Ghadei and Muna Ghadei, were working as rice mill workers in Palakkad for the past few months.

A special team of crime branch police from Orissa nabbed them from a private rice mill where they were newly appointed a week back.

The three were allegedly part of the mob, which assaulted the 29-year-old nun and a pastor, Father Thomas Chellan at Nuagaon village in Kandhamal district.

"They are the principal accused persons in this case. We have got all sorts of evidence with us. Whoever involved in this case will be arrested," said Dilipumar M., Inspector, crime branch.

With this, the total number of arrests in the case has mounted to eight.

According to the nun's complaint on August 25, she was stripped and gang raped and then paraded in the streets in front of dozen policemen. The church priest was also not spared and the mob tried to burn him by putting petrol on him.

ANI