Bhubaneshwar:
As the uproar continues over the brutal gangrape of a 19-year-old Dalit girl in Odisha, the state Crime Branch has released the photograph of the accused.
Prashant Pradhan of Paparanga village under the Pipili police station, who has been identified as the prime accused in the rape case, is on the run along with three others.
The four had allegedly raped the teen Dalit on November 28, 2011 but police registered a First Information Report (FIR) on January 9, 2012 after the State Human Rights Commission intervened.
Meanwhile, the victim who is in a state of semi-coma, is likely to be shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi for further treatment.
The 19-year-old girl is currently admitted at the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack. She was shifted here from the Capital Hospital in Bhubaneshwar following an order from the Orissa High Court.
Meanwhile, the state government has ordered a judicial probe into the incident by a retired High Court judge.
An unhappy opposition, though, has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The women's wing of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) held a rally on Saturday and burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, slamming his government over the rise in crimes against women.
Along with other political parties, the women also demanded the resignation of Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy, accusing him of harbouring the accused.
"Allegations against me are baseless. I welcome the judicial probe ordered by the government into the matter," Mr Maharathy had said.
(With PTI inputs)