BHUBANESWAR: A court in Kandhamal on Monday asked the nun, an alleged rape victim, to attend Test Identification Parade of accused persons at Baliguda on November 19, rejecting her plea seeking a month's time.
Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate of Baliguda, Dolagobinda Barik, declined to allow one month's time to the nun and asked her to be present on November 19 at the identification parade at Baliguda which was scheduled to be held on Monday.
On behalf of the alleged victim, her advocate Manas Singh moved a petition at the SDJM court. Besides seeking one month's time, the petition also urged the court to allow the TIP to be held in Delhi between November 17 and 19.
While remaining silent on the nun's request for change of venue for the identification parade, the court held that the exercise would bec onducted at Baliguda within its jurisdiction.
According to Additional Public Prosecutor (APP), S Loknath Dora, while the request for change of the identification parade venue figured in the petition it was not included in the main prayer made to the court.
Earlier, the jail authorities had arranged for 100 people to be present at the identification parade after Orissa police arrested ten persons in connection with the case.
"She is under trauma conselling. Therefore, the nun could not come here to attend the test identification parade", Singh said, adding the nun had no objection to assist the probe conducted by the Crime Branch (CB) of police.
Though the nun had earlier refused to assist the probe saying she had no faith in Orissa police, she agreed to cooperate after the Supreme Court turned down a petition seeking handing over the case to CBI.
The alleged rape of the nun had taken place at K Nuagaon in riot-hit Kandhamal during Orissa bandh on August 25.
Sources said the police had also been informed about the nun's wish for conducting the test identification parade outside Orissa.
"As the nun had mentioned in her FIR that she could identify the culprit, test identification parade is essential," said a senior police official.
