Baliguda,Kotgarh: A day after a Class IV girl was reportedly raped and subsequently killed in a village under Kotgarh police limits in Kandhamal district, hundreds of villagers Sunday staged a road blockade, demanding capital punishment for the accused.
Angry villagers placed the body on the main road and staged road blockade by burning tyres. Family members and local representatives also accompanied the protestors in the protest.
Normal life was hit and vehicular movements came to a standstill as many buses were running late due to the protests and a few others had to be cancelled. Angry villagers sat in-protest on the road and raised slogans until the police arrived at the spot and tried to bring the situation under control.
The blockade brought the traffic on Baliguda-Muniguda road to a grinding halt.
“We demand capital punishment for the accused and a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the family members of the girl, who was raped and dumped in the forest. The protest will be intensified in the coming days if our demands are not met,” an agitator said.
The police have arrested a youth of the locality, Gagan Pradhan in connection with the case while a further probe was on.
Earlier Saturday, the body of the nine-year-old girl with several injury marks was found in a forest near Kotagarh village.
According to sources, the minor girl after returning from school had gone near a water body to relieve herself at around 2 pm. When the girl did not return home after several hours, her family members carried out a frantic search and later lodged a missing complaint with the police.
Kotagarh police reached the village and launched a search. Later, the body was found in the nearby forest, a few metres away from the water body.
Though the accused was detained by police within 24 hours, the irate locals have demanded capital punishment for him within a period 15 days and a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the deceased minor’s bereaved family.
On the other hand, the locals also alleged that the unabated sale of liquor in the area is the main reason behind such crime as the place has become a safe haven for anti-socials.
PNN
