Hindu girl gang-raped, murdered in Orissa (Lead: Hindu girl)
4 Oct 2008, 1609 Hrs

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New Delhi, Oct 4 Rajani Majhi, a 20-year-old Hindu girl mistaken to be a Christian, was allegedly gang-raped on August 25 before being burnt alive by a mob at the church-run orphanage in Orissa's Bargarh District where she worked.

T V Peter, procurator of Sambalpur diocese said, "I am willing to testify in any court of law."

Peter said that some policemen and locals were witness to the atrocities by a mob led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal at the orphanage in Padampur village in Bargarh District.

'The mob thought she was a Christian girl but actually she was a Hindu and was adopted by a childless couple. She was working in the orphanage,' Peter added.

The priest alleged that instead of rescuing the victims, the policemen remained mute spectators.

Rajani was a student in Padampur Women's College and worked at the orphanage to finance her education.

The orphanage, which was set ablaze by the mob, was meant for children of leprosy patients.

'Almost two years back, she joined the orphanage run by Jesuit priest Father Edward Secuira of our diocese to continue her studies,' said Peter.

On August 25th at around 1.30 p.m., when Secuira was resting in an ante-room, adjacent to the boys' hostel in the orphanage, a group of attackers repeatedly banged on his door. When he opened it, he was immediately dragged to the courtyard and brutally beaten up.

Peter said, "Seeing Father Secuira being hit, Rajani and some children from the orphanage began running for their lives. But the mob caught Rajani and gang-raped her."

The mob then burnt Rajni to death and left two hours later.

Rajani was gang-raped and murdered the same day when a 28-year-old nun was gang-raped in Kandhamal District.

On Friday, the Orissa crime branch took charge of investigating the case of the nun after wide coverage of the report by the media. (ANI)