Nun asked to identify rapists, given security

Bhubaneswar, Oct 25: Blaming Orissa police for not stopping the mob attacking her, the nun recounted her traumatic experience in the press conference on Friday, Oct 24. She asked for a CBI interrogation a day after Supreme Court rejected a plea of Cuttack Archbishop Raphael Cheenath.

Recting to her apperal, the Orissa state government on Saturday, Oct 25 sought her cooperation in identifying the rapists and promised her security. "We have offered to provide her all security and requested her to cooperate," Director General of Police Manmohan Praharaj told OTV news channel. The state government said it was ready to conduct an identification parade of the alleged rapists at the place she wants and where she feels safe.

The apex court had Wednesday, Oct 22 asked the victim to cooperate with the state's investigating agency in identifying the accused during the identification parade.

In her written complaint in Kandhamal district on Aug 26, two days after the incident, the nun alleged that a mob of about 40 to 50 armed men attacked a house at K Nuagaon village where she and a priest, Thomas Chellantharayil, had taken shelter after their centre was attacked.

The mob dragged her and the priest and took them to the deserted office of an NGO where she was stripped and raped. The priest was doused with petrol and beaten up.

The mob also paraded her almost naked on the streets in the presence of a dozen policemen.

The state government suspended the officer in charge of the police station after the matter was highlighted by the media and ordered the crime branch of the police to probe the incident.

Crime branch officials said they had arrested nine people and asked for a test identification parade, a mandatory legal provision.

Orissa's Kandhamal district witnessed widespread anti-Christian attacks after the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides at his ashram Aug 23.

OneIndia News