Friday, December 25, 2009

prime accused in paikmal gang rape surrendered

The prime accused in Paikmal gang rape Mahesh Agrawal .who remained absconded over the past 7 months was finally surrendered before a SDJM court of Padmapur in Bargarh district on Tuesday. He was sent to judicial custody after magistrate rejected his bail plea in the evening. He would remain inside the sub-divisional jail till the court passes a bail order in his fevour. Accused Mahesh Agrawal was also the chairman of Paikmal block and was a close-aide of the tribal welfare minister Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha. He took the step following the ultimatum of Orissa high court asking him to surrender before the lower court before 23rd December while disposing his interim bail petition. With this almost all 6 accused persons have come under judicial custody.
‘He was surrendered before the SDJM, Padmapur on Tuesday on the ultimatum of the Orissa high court while disposing his petition on 17th last. He was asked to surrender before the lower court before 23rd or else he would be ready for the consequences. Finding no alternative he finally surrendered before the court. He was sent to judicial custody on the rejection of the bail petition’, a senior counsel of Padmapur court said.
Sources said, Mahesh and 5 others were accused in the gang-rape of 24 years unmarried Dalit girl of Bhukhamunda under Paikmal police station of the Bargarh district on Monday (11th May). The incident took place in a godown on the behest of the block chairman Mahesh Agrawal. Victim had been to block chairman Mahesh Agrawal’s office in connection to an appointment of Anganwadi worker. The chairman allegedly exploited her sexually and sent her with one Gananidhi Nag who took her to a godown of Sajan Agrawal where 3 persons including Gunanidhi, Sajan, and Pintu Pradhan raped her. Later she was taken to another place where two namely Kunal Singh Bariha and Kamalesh Sribastav raped her. Basing on the complaint of the victim girl Paikmal police registered a case against the accused persons including the block chairman Mahesh Agrawal, but failed to arrest any one as they all managed to give a slip to the local police. Since Mahesh was an active member of BJD and close aide of the tribal minister Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha, government handed over the case to Crime Branch police to suppress the hue and cry of the opposition.
It may be mentioned here that 5 accused persons including Gunanidhi Nag, Sajan Agrawal, Pintu Pradhan and Kamalesh Sribastav have been arrested by the Crime Branch and local police on various occasions. Now surrender of the prime accused Mahesh Agrawal will be enable to the crime branch police to submit the charge-sheet of the case against the accused persons as soon as possible. “We will soon submit the charge-sheet against the accused persons to begin the trail against them immediately’, a senior police officer of Crime Branch police said.
It may be mentioned here that accused Kunal Singh Bariha, nephew of the tribal minister Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha is still at large.

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