ICC Note:
On June 30, Indian Christians in the Chhattisgarh state protested against the lax actions of the police in the latest nun rape case. Chhattisgarh police say they are doing what they can to find the culprits but Christians claim the police aren’t doing enough. Inaction on the part of Indian police is common in that country especially in cases that involve Christians. Will the protests call Indian police to action in finding the culprits?
07/02/2015 India (UCAN)-Christians in the western Indian state of Chhattisgarh and the capital Delhi staged protests Tuesday against what they called the lax attitude of police, who have yet to name any suspects in the rape of a nun late last month.
“We are investigating all kinds of suspects but we cannot say we are any closer to solving the case,” Neeraj Chandrakkar, additional superintendent of police who is handling the investigation, told ucanews.com Wednesday.
Chandrakkar said 15 teams are working on the case and “we have till now interrogated 150-200 people in connection with the crime”.
“We have also taken some 30-40 people to the victim for identification,” he said, adding that the victim is satisfied with the efforts the police are making.
The nun, who belongs to the Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, was raped when two masked men broke into her room, drugged and tied her up in the early hours of June 20 in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh state.
Christians across the state staged silent marches to protest the slow progress in the investigation. Demonstrators wore white clothes and black badges during the protests.
All private schools in Raipur were closed Tuesday “expressing solidarity with the cause,” said Father Sebastian Poomattam, vicar-general of Raipur diocese.
He expressed hope that the demand for action would prompt police into arresting the culprits soon.
In Delhi, Some 100 Christians, including nuns from different congregations, gathered in front of the Sacred Heart Cathedral Tuesday to demand swift action in the case.
“We will take to the streets if nothing happens. We are just waiting for the state government’s response. If no action is taken against the culprits, we will launch a nationwide call for justice for the victim,” Tessy Antony, secretary of the women’s commission in Delhi Archdiocese, told ucanews.com at the rally.
…
