BJP ups the ante over Paikmal rape case

BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Monday upped the ante on the Paikmal rape case and demanded immediate arrest of main accused Mahesh Agarwal as well as dismissal of SC, ST welfare minister Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha. The saffron party alleged that Bariha was shielding Agarwal as the latter was a ruling BJD man.
Senior BJP leaders Jual Oram, Dharmendra Pradhan and Surama Padhi, while jointly addressing a press meet here, on Saturday a party delegation, led by state BJP chief Suresh Pujari had visited Bhukuramunda village in Paikmal block of Bargarh district and met the rape victim, who is a dalit."While the victim is awaiting justice, the prime accused as well as co-accused Kunal Singh Bariha are roaming scotfree even three months after the incident. Police is not taking action as the accused belong to the ruling party. While Agarwal is the block chairman of Paikmal, Kunal is the nephew of the SC, ST welfare minister," Oram said. "What is more disturbing is the statements of the main accused as recorded in a compact disc. I heard the disc in which Agarwal is telling the victim that she could not harm him in any manner and that she was his 12th victim," Oram added.
According to BJP leaders, soon after the alleged rape incident came to light in May, Agarwal had managed to get a stay on his arrest from the Orissa high court. But last week the court vacated the stay. "Even though the stay has been vacated, the police is not arresting the main accused in the case," pointed out Pradhan.
The BJP alleged that minister Bariha was trying to suppress the case and had even attempted to win over the victim through allurement. "The minister's connivance is evident from the fact that after the incident he first met the main accused instead of meeting the victim. Only after criticism, he visited the victim and publicly asked her to agree on a compromise. The minister even told the victim he would adopt her as his daughter and give her part of his property," Oram maintained.
"We demand the chief minister's intervention in the case and immediate ouster of Bariha from the ministry to ensure free and fair police investigation. We seek adequate compensation and protection for the victim and her family. If this is not done, the party would launch a mass agitation," he added.