Nun seeks shifting of trial to Cuttack: Orissa

The Catholic nun who was raped during the 2008 Kandhamal riots has moved the Orissa High Court asking it to shift the trial to Cuttack instead of Baliguda.

In her petition, the 25-year-old nun said the trial of the case in first track judicial magistrate court in Baliguda couldn't be held due to security reasons. She still feels unsafe and there has always been a "threat to my life in Baliguda after August 25, 2008 incident and the situation has not improved in the locality," she said.

On similar lines, earlier the Orissa High Court had agreed to shift the identification parade to Cuttack instead of Baliguda.

The single judge bench of Justice B K Patel on Thursday has fixed the next date of hearing after two weeks.

So far, police have arrested 15 of the 30 persons on whom case has been registered.

The nun was raped and paraded naked on August 25, in the aftermath of the killing of a local VHP leader. Shockingly, at a press conference, the victim alleged that police stood idle supporting the Hindu activists, when she pleaded for help.

The nun hails from Dhama in Sambalpur district and was working at Divyajyoti Pastoral Centre at K Nuagaon.