The brutal rape and murder of a SC minor girl of Sarigpali village of Maharpadar Panchayat on May 22 last is mainly due to acute caste feeling and discrimination prevailing in the village and the deceased’s family members’ strong opposition to illegal liquor sale in the village, said former Jajpur MP Mohan Jena who led a seven- member fact finding team that visited the village under Kaprakhol area.

The civil society team led by Jena comprised activists Sangram Mallick, Jugal Ranjit, Sangeeta Kisan and Kshirod Rout, among others. It met the family members on May 29 last.

It would be pertinent to mention that the minor SC girl of Sargipali was brutally raped and murdered by unscrupulous people on May 22 and her private part was also cut with sharp weapon while acid was poured on her face so that no proper identification of her could be made later.

There was acute caste feeling among the villagers. Both caste (Dalit and upper caste people) lodged complaints against each other with police. A section of people was carrying out illegal liquor business in the village. Maa Bhairabi SHG led by Dalimba Chhatria Bhanumati and other members was in the forefront against the illegal liquor sale.

In November, 2014, the SHG members had come to Khaprakhol police station for action and when nothing happened, they went to the SP office against the illegal liquor business. Finally, the illegal business was stopped with the intervention of the SP.

Critical of the apathy of the administration shown to the SCs/STs in the district, Jena said the administration had not identified the area prone to attack on Dalits. Moreover, the district level vigilance monitoring committee was not functioning properly and its meetings were a mere formality, Jena said.

“Meanwhile, the district administration has only given Rs 5,000 as assistance from the Red Cross fund, which is inadequate. We demand immediate arrest of culprits involved in the incident and Rs 5 lakh assistance to the deceased family, besides an end to the practice of caste discrimination in the village,” said Jena.