Congress to hold padayatras on Aug 14

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Congress will hold two Padayatras on August 14 to ensure justice for the Balanga burn victim and deceased student of FM Autonomous College in Balasore district, announced OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das today.

While addressing a press meet at Congress Bhawan, Bhakta Das said that the Pradesh Congress Committee will hold a Padayatra from the Fakir Mohan Autonomous College and conclude it with a public meeting with the aim to ensure justice for the B.Ed student who died last month after self-emotion due to the alleged inaction of police and college authority against her HOD Samir Kumar Sahu against whom she had leveled allegation of seeking sexual fervour from her.

This apart, another Padayatra will also be held from Balanga to Nimapara and end with a public meeting in order to press our demand for justice of the Balanga burn victim, Das informed.

The Congress leaders also expressed his deep shock over the sudden death of the 15-year-old girl saying how she died while she was able to walk by herself and the police had recorded her statement four times. He stated that we got several reports of her health condition getting better but she died at AIIMS, Delhi on Saturday.

Police should clarify how was the girl’s health condition when they recorded her statement in the hospital, the OPCC president questioned.

He also alleged that while the girl herself claimed that three boys abducted and set her on fire, the State Police is saying that none is involved in the case.

“The State police has failed to protect the women and girls of the State due to which crimes against them is rising every day. They must arrest all the accused persons involved in both the crimes immediately, if not the Congress party will launch a week-long police station gherao program to gherao all the police stations across the State,” he warned.