Jeypore: After 33 hours of road blockade, the National Highway 26 between Jeypore and Visakhapatnam was cleared for vehicular traffic as the locals, who agitated in protest against the gang rape of a minor girl in the district, withdrew the blockade following discussion with district administration and police last night.
The Collector and SP held a discussion with irate locals and family members of the rape survivor on Wednesday night. The officials assured them of stringent action against the culprits.
Local residents had begun the blockade on the NH since Tuesday, a day after the shameful incident allegedly perpetrated by some uniformed personnel.
Vehicular traffic had come to a grinding halt as hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the highway for over 30 hours due to picketing by protestors near Kunduli in Koraput district.
They demanded immediate arrest of the rapists and complete care of the survivor. The government should also take care of her health and education, the agitators demanded before the Collector.
On the other hand, the criminals have not yet been identified even as two days have elapsed since the incident took place. The police have tagged the matter as a red flag case registered at Pottangi Police Station under sections 376 (D) and 377 of IPC and section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Informing this on Wednesday, DGP RP Sharma had informed that efforts are on to identify the miscreants and stringent action will be initiated against them, irrespective of who they are.
The police have also set up a special team of crime branch which is closely monitoring the matter
Kin of the survivor alleged that it were four armed jawans who committed the crime.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) asked the SC/ST secretary, ADG (HRPC), Koraput Collector and SP, DIG of police (south-western range) to report on the incident in a week.
On Tuesday, the 14-year-old girl of Musaguda village near Kunduli under Pottangi police limits was allegedly gang-raped by four uniformed personnel in the Lanjiguda forest.
She was rushed to Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital after she narrated her ordeal before her parents.
Hospital sources said the condition of the girl is stable now.
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