OHRC asks govt to give Rs 50,000 to alleged rape victim

The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) today asked the SC and ST Development Department to grant an interim compensation of Rs 50,000 to the mother of the minor victim of alleged gang rape in Koraput district last month.
The OHRC also ordered arrangement of her admission in the Ekalavya Model Residential School (EMRS) in the district, an OHRC official said.
The Commission also sought a status report from the ADG Crime Branch of Odisha Police on the investigation into the alleged gang rape case within four weeks. The next hearing of the case was posted to November 27.
While hearing the case, OHRC Acting Chairperson Justice B K Mishra issued direction to the SC and ST Development Department to provide Rs 50,000 as interim compensation to the alleged minor victim's mother.

Justice Mishra also asked the district collector of Koraput to ensure education of the alleged victim at the Ekalavya Model Residential School in the district.
Superintendent of the Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital (SLN) Dr Sitaram Mohapatra also appeared in person before the Commission and submitted the medical examination report of the victim along with the bed head reports.

The superintendent was asked by the Commission on November 6 to appear in person and submit medical examination report.
The medical examination report of the victim is significant as the Odisha police had ruled out possibility of her rape. The 14-year-old girl, on the other had had alleged that she was raped by four men in uniform while she was returning from Kunduli market on October 10.

Additional DG HRPC of Odisha Police, Mahendra Pratap and Koraput district SP K V Singh had denied rape of the minor girl.
Meanwhile, a four-member team of Crime Branch (CB) began investigation into the alleged gang rape case as per the direction of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also ordered on November 8 an enquiry by a sitting district judge into the case as per the Commission of Enquiry Act 1952. The judicial enquiry will run in parallel with the Crime Branch investigation.