OHRC takes note of Pipli gangrape case
"The commission has asked the Pipili police to register a case and submit action taken report within three days. The SP of Puri has been directed to monitor the investigation of the case," OHRC registrar C R Mohapatra said.
The girl, who is also a court witness in a molestation case, was allegedly raped by two persons in Pipili area on November 28. Her family members alleged she was targeted by goons for being a court witness.
Earlier in the afternoon the rape victim, in a comatose state after being strangled by rapists, and her family members came to the OHRC office here seeking justice. She was lying on the floor with saline drips and nasal feeding pipes pierced to her body. Her sobbing uncle and brother refused to move from there until justice is delivered to them. "Neither the government nor the police helps us in getting justice. While government is not ready to bear her medical expenses, police are not receiving her complaint," the rape victim's uncle said.
The disgruntled family on Saturday approached the State Commission for Women (SCW) alleging police inaction into the alleged rape and murder attempt on her. Though the SCW assured her help and medication, it came a cropper. The SCW had arranged to shift her to hospital again on the same day. "The woman was critical and needed medical help. We first took her to Capital Hospital SCB Medical College
However, the family chose not to go to Cuttack Bhubaneswar
Meanwhile following media reports, a few police officers from Pipili rushed to Bhubaneswar Capital Hospital
Source said the girl was first allegedly assaulted on January 13, 2008, a few weeks after some miscreants molested her friend in the village. The miscreants attacked her house again on February 18, 2008 after she became a court witness in the molestation case. Police had then arrested two persons, sources said. Though police are yet to ascertain whether the alleged rape on her in November last year was anything to do with the 2008 case, it was alleged the girl was raped by a married man, who was insisting to marry her since long. He was a close associate of one of the two persons arrested in the 2008 case. "We will investigate from all angles," Pipili sub-divisional police officer Rajendra Kumar Rout said.
HC asks hospital for status of rape victim
The Odisha High Court on Tuesday directed the Chief Medical Officer of Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar
Taking up a PIL filed by civil rights activist and advocate Prabir Das, a division bench headed by Chief Justice V Gopala Gowda took strong exception to the matter and decided to hear the case again on Wednesday to consider the report of the CMO.
The HC also directed the Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police to immediately post a woman constable to guard the victim near her hospital bed and further asked Bhubaneswar police to step up surveillance in and around Capital Hospital
This direction came from the court when the petitioner brought to the notice of the Chief Justice that the accused persons in the case are trying to threaten the family of the victim while leaders of a particular party are trying to coerce the victim’s family members to do their bidding.
Also taking strong exception to police inaction in the case, the HC directed the Puri SP to place an officer in the rank of DSP to investigate into the case thoroughly. The SP was also asked to personally monitor the case and submit an action-taken report to the court within seven days after apprehending all the accused persons.
The rights activist in his petition specifically prayed to the court to ensure that the victim, who is from an imporerished Dalit BPL family, is given proper treatment by the Government free of cost as she is now in coma, battling for life, after she was raped in November. The petitioner also mentioned the need to rehabilitate the victim and take stringent action against the perpetrators of the crime in his prayer.
In another development, the State Government ordered a Crime Branch inquiry into the incident in a face-saving attempt after the local police registered a case under Sections 323, 307, 376, 506 and 34 of the IPC along with Section 3 of the SC and ST Act against all four persons named in the FIR.
State DGP Manmohan Praharaj said a five-member team of the Crime Branch is already on the job and assured that the accused would be dealt with severely.
14 permanent night shelters to come up in State for the homeless
After getting the Supreme Court’s nod, the Odisha Government decided to construct 14 permanent night shelters in the State for the homeless and distressed people.
Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik told newsmen here on Monday that in compliance of the apex court’s directive, the State Government has decided to set up four permanent night shelters at Bhubaneswar , two in Cuttack
He said the respective district administrations have identified suitable lands for construction of the night shelters. Each night shelter would be constructed at an estimated cost of `40 lakh within next two months and basic facilities like light and water would be provided in the shelters, Patnaik informed.
Patnaik further said while 464 homeless distressed persons spending night under the open sky were identified in Bhubaneswar , 162 persons were identified at Cuttack
In Bhubaneswar
Save Mahanadi Forum ups ante
http://expressbuzz.com/states/orissa/save-mahanadi-forum-ups-ante/351930.html
Submitting a memorandum to the five-member expert committee studying the impact of construction by IOCL at Hadia Patha, the organisation has called for detailed evaluation of the water availability throughout the year before reaching a conclusion.
The river bed goes dry in the non-monsoon months and even the Jobra Barrage reservoir feels acute pressure from November to June. The impact is already visible on the non-availability of water for the irrigation channels through Taladanda and other canals branching out of the barrage.
The drinking water requirements of Cuttack
In the event of allowing large industries like IOCL and Posco to get their water from the Jobra Barrage, the consequences are glaringly evident. During the dry seasons, the industries will depend on groundwater to meet their requirement. The catastrophic fallout can be easily foreseen, president MBA GC Hota has said.
The five-member expert committee headed by retired chief engineer SM Patnaik is due to submit its report to the High Court later this month.
The High Court has directed the committee to thoroughly study all possible impact of the construction of the intake well and laying of pipeline by IOCL on the entire water distribution system.
The Committee has been entrusted with the responsibility of studying water availability across all seasons, irrigation requirement and current demand and supply scenario, groundwater level and availability along with the implications of the pipeline on the Ring Road.
The Court had stayed construction on a PIL filed by the Nationalist Lawyers Forum.
While warning that the canal system would be rendered defunct due to scarcity of water during the dry non-rainy seasons and the groundwater would be acutely depleted, the organisation has sought stop to all activities at Jobra, Naraj and other upstream of Mahanadi for provisioning of water to industries.
Fugitive Nimapada cop suspended
The Odisha police on Tuesday placed under suspension Nimapada police station Inspector-in-Charge Bimal Nayak who is on the run ever since the State vigilance sleuths caught him taking bribe last week.
After widespread criticism, the police headquarters here issued a suspension letter in the name of Nayak who was allegedly helped by some locals after the vigilance sleuths caught him red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 5,000 inside the police station on January 6.
“The police inspector is placed under suspension and orders about his suspension has already been issued,” said State DGP Manmohan Praharaj on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, three special squads of the Puri district police are reportedly continuing raid at various places to find out the absconding police officer.
BJD leader arrested for alleged link with Maoist
PHULBANI (Odisha): A ruling BJD leader and prominent Christian functionary in Odisha's communally sensitive Kandhamal district Junus Pradhan was today arrested for alleged links with Maoists and involvement in recent landmine blasts, police said
Junus Pradhan, block president of Daringbadi, was picked up from his house in the early hours on charge of his involvement in last week's landmine blasts near Kotagarh in which four persons including three policemen were killed and three others injured, superintendent of police Jaynarayan Pankaj said.
Pradhan is also the Kandhamal district chief of Christian Janakalyan Samaj, the apex body of tribal Christians in the district.
A landmine went off when a police team with two trained dogs was proceeding in a vehicle on Kotagarh-Srirampur road on January 5 to the site of the blast the previous day in which one person was killed.
The deceased included two police constables and a homeguard, the sources said adding they were identified as Sunasir Mohanty, Umakant Jani and Sangram Lenka.
Meanwhile, as soon as the news of Pradhan's arrest spread, hundreds of BJD supperters had assembled in front of the block office at Daringbadi shouted slogans demanding his immediate release.
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