Baleshwar: Normal life was affected in Jaleswar town Tuesday as the opposition BJD and Congress called separate shutdowns to protest the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl earlier this month. The BJD called a 12-hour bandh from 6am, while the Congress called an eight-hour shutdown to demand justice for the victim’s family. The girl was allegedly raped and murdered October 16, and her body was found October 22. BJD and Congress workers blocked the main road of the town and raised slogans against police. Shops and other commercial establishments remained closed, while vehicular movement was disrupted.
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However, traffic on Chennai-Kolkata National Highway continued through the bypass, police said. BJD MLA Aswini Kumar Patra, who led the protest, alleged that the victim’s father had handed over the accused to police, but he was allowed to go free after two days, exposing police inaction. The accused and two of his associates were arrested later following public pressure, he claimed. “Under whose instruction did the police release the accused? The person concerned should be brought within the purview of the investigation,” Patra demanded. The Congress also demanded a Crime Branch investigation, with a party leader from Baleshwar district criticising police for their alleged failure to handle the case.
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