Nun rape case: No CBI inquiry says SC, archbishop disappointed

The Bench noted that the victim has left the area and was refusing to participate in the Test Identification Parade (TIP), though nine persons have been arrested in connection with the alleged rape.

On the issue of compensation for damage caused to churches during the communal riots, the Bench asked the Orissa Government to assess the damage and assist in re-building them.

The apex Court said that proceedings in cases arising out of the violence will have to be conducted by setting up fast track courts.

Further, the Bench said that the central para-military forces provided to the state government for maintaining law and order in riot-hit area will remain there till December-end in view of the upcoming festival of Christmas.

The Archbishop of Cuttack had in a petition sought Rs hree crore compensation for demolition of Churches in the anti-Christian riots, while seeking a CBI inquiry into attacks on Christians.

He alleged that Orissa government was not taking steps o arrest the culprits who allegedly raped and paraded the nun naked on August 25.

I am disappointed over SC judgement: Archbishop

Noting that he was ‘disappointed’ over the Supreme Court declining to hand over the nun rape case to CBI, the Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar on Wednesday said they were not interested in filing a review petition in the apex court.

“I am disappointed. I was expecting more from the Supreme Court,” Archbishop Raphael Cheenath said, adding he would hold talks with the community leaders before taking any further action.

Cheenath, who had filed the petition in the Supreme Court, seeking a direction to the state government to hand over the case to the CBI, said that the court should take a harassed woman’s statement into consideration.

The Archbishop said he approached the apex court seeking a CBI probe after the victim expressed her ‘no trust’ on the Orissa police. “How can the woman face the same police which turned mere witness to her being assaulted and raped,” Cheenath said.

Asked what would be the community’s next course of action, the Archbishop said that he would like to speak to the nun before saying something.

Declining to reveal whereabouts of the nun, the Archbishop said he would try to speak to her over phone.

Though he was a petitioner, Cheenath said he was yet to receive a copy of the judgement. “I will go through the wording of the judgement copy before giving further statement on the matter,” he said.

On the court’s advice to the state government to help in re-building damaged churches, Cheenath said he was expecting positive action from the state government.

Earlier, Cheenath had claimed that nearly 200 churches and prayer houses were damaged during violence.