Orissa nun refuses to cooperate state police

Talking to the media for the first time, a nun who was allegedly raped during the Kandhamal communal violence in Orissa on Friday accused the state police for remaining a silent spectator of her ordeal and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident.

The 29-year-old Catholic nun, who had fled to an unidentified place a day after filing report, spoke about her traumatic experience. She alleged the state police of being biased, and hence refused to cooperate in investigation other than a CBI inquiry.

Earlier in her complaint, the nun had alleged that a mob of about 40 to 50 armed men attacked a house at K Nuagaon village where she along with Father Thomas Chellantharayil, had taken shelter after their centre was torched by enraged Hindu mob in retaliation to the killing of VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda.

In the Friday press conference in New Delhi, she narrated the same; how she was assaulted by a mob, paraded naked and then raped. She also said that the incident occurred in the presence of police personnel but nobody came in support of her.

Her public statement came out two days after the Supreme Court’s ruling in which it declined to direct for a CBI inquiry into the rape case.

Prior to this press conference, the Orissa government acting on the apex court’s direction said it would set up a fast-track court to deal with all the cases related to communal violence in Kandhamal district including the rape case of the catholic nun.

Naveen Patnaik government had asked the nun to cooperate with the investigating agency and agreed to hold test identification parade wherever she wanted.

The government has also agreed to provide reasonable assistance to all religious institutions for reconstruction that damaged or burnt in the communal riot. Besides, ex-gratia assistance will also be granted on the basis of the report prepared by the District Collector.