BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday announced that stringent action will be taken against the accused in rape of the minor girl at Salepur. The Chief Minister expressed his grief and shock over the death of the rape victim while making a statement in the Assembly, a day after the victim succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Cuttack. “I will see to it that stringent action is taken against the accused and Rs 5 lakh is given to next of the kin of the victim,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the six-year-old girl was allegedly raped on the night of April 21 and the accused was arrested within 24 hours of the terrible incident. The child was given the best medical attention by a team of doctors at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, he said and added, “Unfortunately, she died last night.”“I would like to send my deepest condolence to the bereaved family and again I repeat, I feel deep anguish at this terrible incident,” he said.
Leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra, however, said a mere condolence message by the Chief Minister is not enough to control such incidents in Odisha.The victim, battling for life for a week, breathed her last at the hospital on Sunday, despite efforts by a 13-member team of doctors to save her. The girl was rescued in a critical condition from a street that led to a school under the jurisdiction of Salepur police station on April 22.
She had deep injuries on her head, face, neck and private parts. She was rushed to the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Salipur and later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital as her condition deteriorated.Police have arrested a person under different sections of the IPC and the POCSO Act.