Three more arrested in Kandhamal nun rape case

Bhubaneswar, Oct 11 (UNI) Three more persons were today arrested from Palghat in Kerala by the Orissa Crime branch police probing the controversial rape of a nun in the strife-torn Kandhamal.

With the arrest of three, the Crime branch has so far arrested eight people in connection with the incident. The police on October 3 had arrested four people from Baliguda in Kandhamal and later arrested prime accused Santosh Pradhan on October 6.

Police said those arrested from Kerala had been identified as Mitu Pattnaik, Suraj Ghadei and Muna Ghadei. All the three had fled to Kerala with a local contractor soon after the incident.

The nun was allegedly raped on August 25 in K Nuagaon village during the arson and communal violence triggered by the assassination of VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his disciples by unknown assailants inside Jalaspeta ashram on August 23.

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