Orissa Crime Branch to meet raped nun today

Crime Branch of the Orissa police on Tuesday will meet the Catholic nun who was raped during the anti-Christian violence in Orissa.

The two-member team has arrived New Delhi where they plan to meet the nun who recently failed to appear in the Orissa state court for an Identification Parade.

Her failure to appear in the court was attributed to her lack of faith in the Orissa police.

Along with the nun, the Crime Branch will also meet with Father Thomas Chelan, the only witness in the violence that took place at K Nuagaon village in Kandhamal district.

Following the August 25 mob rioting, it would be the first time the nun and priest would meet together in the investigation by the Crime Branch.

So far 10 persons have been arrested in connection with the incident. The nun is yet to identify her rapists.

The assassination of VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on August 23 sparked the violence, which saw the burning of churches, killing of Christians, fleeing of poor tribals to forests.

According to the 28-year-old nun's statement to the media, On August 25, an angry mob of fanatic Hindus avenging the murder of Swami Laxmanananda gang-raped her and paraded her naked.

She then accused the state police of "standing idle" during the incident, which has been condemned by the Christians as well as the secular people in the country.