Odisha nun fails to identify rape accused

September 20, 2012: The Catholic nun, who was allegedly raped during the 2008 anti-Christian riots in Kandhamal, has failed to identify the two accused recently arrested in the case. The nun could not identify the accused Narayan Mohanty and Apurva Rout during the test identification parade yesterday conducted at the Cuttack Circle Jail, Choudwar.

The identification parade was conducted on the orders of the Orissa high court. However, crime branch officials, who arrested the duo, remained tight lipped on the matter. The two were arrested in May. With their arrest, the number of people detained in the rape case increased to 28.

The crime branch had asked Baliguda sub-divisional judicial magistrate, where the trial of the rape case is underway, for the parade. But the nun opposed it and had filed a petition at the Orissa high court seeking shifting of the procedure to Choudwar jail. This was the fourth test identification parade conducted in connection with the rape case. All the previous parades were also held at Choudwar Jail.

The first was held on January 5, 2009, second on June 23, 2009 and the third on July 31, 2010. The nun was allegedly raped at K. Nuagaon during 2008 Kandhamal riots following the assassination of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati.