Statement made to the Press by Sister
Meena
On 24th August around 4.30 pm, hearing
the shouting large crowd, at the gate of
Sivyajyoti pastoral centre, I ran out
through the back door and escaped to the
forest along with others. We saw our
house going up in flame. Around 8.30
PM, we came out of the forest and went to
the house of the Hindu gentleman who
gave us shelter.
On 25th August, around 1.30 PM, the mob
entered the room where I was staying in
that house; one of them slapped on my
face, caught my hair and pulled me out of
the house. Two of them were holding my
neck to cut off my head with axe. Others
told them to take me out to the road; I saw
Fr. Chellan also being taken out and
being beaten. The mob consisting of 40-50
men were armed with lathis, axes, spades,
crowbars, iron rods, sticks etc. They took
both of us to the main road. Then they led
us to the burnt down Janavikas building
saying that they were going to throw us
into the smoldering fire.
When we reached the Janavikas building,
threw me to the verandah on the way to
the dining room which was full of ashes
and broken glass pieces. One of them tore
my blouse and others my undergarments.
Father Chellan protested and they beat
him and pulled him out from there. They
pulled out my saree and one of them
slepped on my right hand and another on
my left hand and then a third person
raped me on the verandah mention above.
When it was over, I managed to get up
and put my petticoat and saree. Then
another young man caught me and took
me to a room near the staircase. He
opened his pants and was attempting to
rape me when they reached there.
I hide myself under the staircase. The
crowd was shouting "Where is that sister,
come let us rape her, at least 100 people
should rape." They found me under stair
case and took me out to the road. There I
saw Fr. Chellan was kneeling down and
the crowd was beating him. They were
searching for a rope to tie both of us
together to burn in fire. Someone
suggested to make a us parade naked.
They made us to walk on the road till
Nuagaon market, which was half a
kilometer from there. They made to fold
our hands and walk. I was with petticoat
and saree as they had already torn away
my blouse and undergarments. They tried
to strip even there and I resisted and they
went on beating me with hands on my
cheeks and head, and with sticks on my
back several times.
When we reached market place, about a
dozen of OSAP police men were there. I
went to them asking to protect me and I
sat in between two policemen. They did
not move. One from the crowd again
pulled out from there there and they
wanted to take us in their temple mandap.
The crowd led me and Fr. Chellan to the
Nuagaon block building, saying that they
will hand us over to B.D.O. From there
along with the block officer, the mob took
us to police outpost Nuagaon, other
policemen remained far.
The mob said that they will comeback
after and one of them who attacked me
remained back in the police outpost.
Policemen then came to police outpost.
They were talking very friendly with the
man who had attacked me and stayed
back. In police outpost we remained until
the inspector incharge of Balliguda with
his police team came and took us to
Balliguda. They were afraid to us straight
to the police station and they kept us
sometimes in jeep in garage, from there
they brought us to the station. The
inspector incharge and other two
government officers took privately and
asked whatever happened to me. I
narrated everything in detail to the police,
how I was attacked, raped, taken away
from policement paraded half naked and
how the plicemen did not help me when I
asked for help while weeping bitterly. I
saw the inspector writing down. The
inspector asked me "Are you interesting
in filing FIR? Do you know what will be
the consequence?" At about 10 PM, I was
taken for medical check up accompanied
by a lady police officer to Balliguda
hospital" They were afraid to keep us in
police station, saying the mob may attack
police station. So the police took us to I.
B. (Inspection Bungalow) where CRPF
men were camping.
On 26th around 9 AM we were taken to
Balliguda police station. When I was
writing the FIR, the I/C asked me to hurry
up and not to write in detail. When I
started writing about the police, I/C told
me this is not the way to write FIR. "Make
it short." So I rewrote it for the third time
in one and half page. I filed the FIR, but I
was not given a copy of it.
At around 4 PM the Inspector In charge
of Balliguda police station along with
some government officers put us in the
OSRTC bus to Bhubaneswar along with
other stranded passengers. Police were
there till Rangamati, where all passengers
had their supper. After that I did not see
the police. We got down near Nayagarh
and traveled in a private vehicle and
reached Bhubaneswar around 2 AM on
27th August.
State police failed to stop the crimes,
failed to protect me from the attackers,
they were friendly with attackers, they
tried their best that I did not register a
FIR, not make complaints against police,
police did not take down my statement as I
narrated in detail and they abandon me
half of the way. I was raped and now I
don´t want to be victimized by the Orissa
Police. I want CBO enquiry. God bless
India, God bless you all.
Sr. Meena
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