Cuttack: The Odisha High Court on Tuesday directed the arrest of all the accused in the Pipili gang rape of a dalit girl within seven days and ordered the chief medical officer (CMO) of Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar to submit a detailed report about her health status.
The HC division Bench headed by Chief Justice V Gopala Gowda ordered the superintendent of police of Puri to personally monitor the case and submit the action taken report to the court within seven days after apprehending all the accused persons in the case.
The division bench, which was hearing a PIL filed by civil rights activist and advocate Prabir Das, took strong exception to the police inaction in the case and directed the superintendent of police of Puri to put an officer in the rank of deputy superintendent of police to investigate into the case.
It ordered the hospital CMO to submit the report by Wednesday stating as to whether the 19-year-old dalit girl, in coma since the incident in November 2011, is responding to the treatment and if she needs to be shifted to a better facility.
The Bench directed Bhubaneswar deputy commissioner of police to immediately post a lady constable near the victim's hospital bed to guard her. It also asked the police to step up surveillance in and around Capital Hospital to prevent the accused persons from interfering in the security and treatment of the victim.
The directions were given when the petitioner brought it the notice of the Chief Justice that the accused persons in the case are trying to threaten the victim's family, while leaders of a particular political party were trying to intimidate and coerce them.
The case would be heard again on Wednesday to consider the report.
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