The Kandhamal Surakshya Abhiyan observed a 12-hour dawn-to-dusk bandh in the district on Thursday demanding action against the concerned Ministers and officials in connection with the incidence of a 14-year-old girl student giving birth to a baby in Daringibadi.
Shops and other business establishments and educational institutions remained closed in view of the bandh while vehicular movement came to a grinding halt in the district as the agitators staged road blockades and resorted to picketing in front of Government and private organisations.
The BJP extended its support to the bandh call with its workers blocking roads at several junctions holding party flags.
The demands of the agitators included resignation of SC and ST Developmemt Minister Ramesh Majhi and Women and Child Development Minister Prafulla Samal, transfer of the district Collector, a judicial probe into the incidence, suspension of the District Welfare Officer, compensation of Rs 50 lakh and provision of safety of the girl.
As many as 12 platoons of police forces were deployed across the district to avoid any untoward incident during the bandh.
Notably, the girl, a Class-VIII student of a Government-run tribal residential school in Daringbadi of the district, had given birth to a baby in the toilet of the school hostel on January 13. The girl and the newborn were rescued by some locals from the Sraniketa forest, 10 km away from the hostel, in very bad conditions and taken them to the Sub-Divisional Hospital, Balliguda. Later, they were shifted to the MKCG Medical College Hospital in Brahmapur on January 14. The newborn died in the hospital
The girl had got pregnant after she was raped by one Sraban Pradhan (23) when she had gone to her village during a vacation. The accused has been arrested.