Salepur Rape Case: CM Promises Stern Action Against Accused

Bhubaneswar: Expressing profound grief and shock over the tragic death of Salepur rape victim, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and promised stringent action against the accused.

Making a statement to this effect in the State Assembly during question hour, he said the six-year-old girl was raped on the night of April 21. The accused was arrested within 24 hours of this terrible incident. The child was given the best medical attention by a team of doctors at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. Unfortunately, she died last night.

“I will see to it that the most stringent action is taken against the accused. A sum of Rs 5 lakh has been given to the next of the kin of the victim. I would like to send my deepest condolence to the bereaved family and again I repeat, I feel deep anguish at this terrible incident,” the Chief Minister added.

The minor girl was allegedly raped at Jagannathpur village under Salepur block of Cuttack district on the night of April 21.

The following morning, villagers rescued the unconscious girl from a school veranda and rushed to a hospital in Salepur. There were injuries on her head, face, chest and private parts and scratches on the neck.

She was later shifted to the paediatric intensive care unit of SCB on Monday night as her health condition turned very critical.

The girl was kept on the ventilator at the trauma ICU and being treated by a 13-member special team of doctors of six departments, including orthopaedic, radiology, neurosurgery, paediatric and surgery.

Despite the valiant efforts of the doctors, she died on Sunday night.