A call for a seven-hour bandh given by the Congress demanding the arrest of the culprits involved in the gang rape of a minor girl here on October 10 disrupted normal life in Odisha’s Koraput district on Monday.
The Maoists had also given a call for a bandh over the same issue.
Till Monday, the police had not been able to identify or arrest the four persons involved in the gang rape of the Class IX girl. The victim had alleged that the four men were armed and dressed as security personnel.
The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Cell of the Odisha Congress has decided to take out a ‘padyatra’ from the spot of the gang rape at Musaguda to Koraput town. The ‘padyatra’ will start on Tuesday and culminate with a demonstration in front of the office of the Deputy Inspector General of Police in Koraput on October 18, said former Congress MP Pradeep Majhi. Mr. Majhi and Koraput MLA Krushna Sagaraia will lead the ‘padyatra’.
Due to the bandh call, most shops, business establishments, schools, colleges and offices remained closed in Koraput from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Vehicular traffic came to a complete standstill. Passenger buses and trucks remained off the roads.
However, no untoward incident was reported during the bandh.
Congress leaders like Jeypore MLA and chief whip of the party in the State Assembly Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Koraput MLA Mr. Saharia, former MP Mr. Majhi led Congress supporters and picketed in different parts of the town. Mr. Bahinipati demanded a compensation of ₹50 lakh for the victim and said the government should bear the cost of her future studies.
The Congress leaders have threatened to intensify their agitation if their demands are not met.
The Maoists, who have a presence in Koraput district, had also called for a Koraput bandh on Monday. They have condemned the gang rape and denied their involvement in the crime.
The CRPF, the BSF and local police have already denied the involvement of their personnel in the incident.
