Giving a political colour to the rape and murder of a deaf and blind minor girl in Beldal village, Pradesh Congress Committee president Jaydev Jena said even as the incident occurred in the constituency of Law Minister, neither he nor any minister from the ruling party has visited the bereaved family yet. “The Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik chose to go to New Delhi at this hour when the family needs his help. Considering the nature of the case, it is clearly more serious than the Delhi rape case,” he said, while speaking to mediapersons here on Monday.
Congress would launch a Statewide agitation demanding CBI probe into the case and justice to the deceased girl’s family, Jena said, alleging that even the investigating cops were trying to shield the actual culprits.
Jena along with some other party members visited the bereaved family at Beldal village and interacted with them.
He said the police investigation was an eye wash. “Circumstantial evidences point that it is a case of gangrape. None in the village even believe what the police said,” Jena said adding that the actual culprits are being shielded by members of the ruling party.
Stating that the crime graph in the Pilgrim City was rising, the Congress leader said though rape cases have taken place in the city previously, no visible police action has been undertaken to book the accused. Accusing the State Government of paying peanuts in the name of compensation to the family of the deceased, Jena demanded a minimum of `20 lakh. The local administration had paid `10,000 to the girl’s parents following the incident for funeral expenses.
Meanwhile, chief of Commission for State Child Rights Protection Saraswati Hembram visited the family on Monday. She met SP Anup Kumar Sahoo and discussed with him about the progress in investigation. She asked the SP to provide status report of the case to the Commission.
Later talking to mediapersons, she said the Commission has suggested adequate financial assistance to the deceased’s family and a thorough probe into the case.