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Home secy apologises to Kandhamal nun
Orissa Home Secretary TK Mishra apologised to the nun raped by rioters and assured stringent action against the culprits, reports Soumyajit Pattnaik.
Admitting three cases of rape and attempt to rape from violence-hit Kandhamal district since the killing of VHP leader Swami Laxmananda, Orissa Home secretary T. K. Mishra on Sunday apologised to the nun raped by rioters and assured stringent action against the culprits.
“We are extremely sorry for this incident. We are with her. She can directly meet me or the IGP (Crime). We appeal to our Sister to cooperate with us in investigating the case,” said Mishra.
He informed that four persons have been arrested in the case. “We will be arresting two more persons. The culprits will be certainly punished,” he added.
Divulging details in other rape incidents, the Home secretary denied the “communal angle” in one case.
Referring to the case where a woman belonging to a majority community was raped nearly 30 km away from Phulbani, under the Tikabali police station, Mishra said: “This incident absolutely had no communal dimension. One person has been arrested in this case.”
Mishra said investigation in the third incident is on but refused to divulge any details.
Claiming improvement in the situation in Kandhamal, Mishra said there were no reports of any violence from the district in the last 48 hours.
Sources, however, said a body was recovered from a desolate place near a road, 4 km away from Phulbani. The exact cause of the death could not be ascertained immediately.
