Saturday, July 16, the arrest of a Hindu militant who police said raped a five year old girl at the headquarters of a hard-line Hindu party. The girl was allegedly raped Wednesday, July 13, in an office of the Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) party in Cuttack city, 25 kilometer (about 15 miles) from the state capital Bhubaneswar.
"The victim was playing near the VHP state headquarters. Finding her alone, one [activist] ram lured her into the VHP office and raped the girl," police said in a statement.
Hearing the victim’s scream, her mother rushed there and rescued the girl but the Hindu militant from the area of Sundergarh managed to escape, before being arrested Friday, July 15, police said.
The detention of the suspect, identified only as Magguli, came after the father of the Hindu girl filed a complaint with the local police station, the BosNewsLife Orissa Bureau learned.
MASSIVE PROTESTS
Hundreds of supporters of Orissa’s Indian National Congress, the main opposition party, also demanded his arrest while student organizations threatened with protests across Orissa unless he was detained.
Student organizations also threatened with protests all over the state unless the militant, identified as Magguli, was arrested.
The incident added to tensions in Orissa where Christians say VHP militants have conducted a campaign of terror, including sexual assaults, against the local population in several areas.
WEAPONS DISTRIBUTION
Church advocacy groups have also warned of a massive weapon distribution program among VHP activists. The program, which involves handing out sharp weapons such as tridents, is allegedly part of an effort to target those opposing the party policies as well as minority religious groups including Christians.
VHP officials have expressed outrage about what they say are a growing number of "forced conversions" of Hindus to Christianity.
It was unclear if the girl was raped to warn her family not to abandon Hinduism. However the VHP leadership denied any involvement. "The accused, Magguli, was employed as a cook in VHP office [but] he is not at all a member of the organization," VHP State Governor Subash Chauhan announced.
