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Background
The 2008 Kandhamal nun gang rape case refers to the gang-rape of a 28-year-old nun during the
Part of a series on
Incident 2008 Kandhamal violence. The incident received media attention during the riots.
Violence against
Convictions
The violence broke out between Hindu nationalists and Christians after the murder of a Hindu monk and Christians in India
Aftermath four disciples. During the violence in Kandhamal district, a Catholic nun who worked with the tribals was Incidents
See also taken away, along with a priest from the house where she took shelter, by a mob shouting "Bharat Mata 1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat
Ki Jai". The mob took her to another place where she was raped till another mob came and paraded her 1998 attacks on Christians in Dangs district
References 1998 Ramgiri-Udaygiri violence
half-naked through the roads, beat her, and attempted to strip her completely naked along the way to a
1999 Ranalai violence
External links market place, where onlooking police did not intervene. The priest was doused with kerosene and an
2007 Christmas violence in Kandhamal
attempt made to burn him alive. Later the nun and priest were taken into police custody. 2008 Kandhamal violence
2008 Kandhamal nun gang rape case
The nun blamed the police for allegedly being friendly with the attackers and discouraging her from filing 2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka
a police complaint. 2021 anti-Christian violence in Karnataka
Related topics
Later 3 suspects were convicted for the rape, and 6 others acquitted for lack of evidence. Freedom of religion
Violence against Christians in India
Religious violence in India
Background [ edit ] Religious persecution

The incident happened during anti-Christian violence that targeted Christian Churches, Institutions and · ·

homes where more than 395 churches and 5600 Christians' houses were burned, 39-100 Christians
killed, and nearly 60,000 left homeless by groups led by the Hindu nationalist Sangh Parivar groups.[1][2][3]

The nun belonged to the Servite Order of the Catholic Church and was born in Sambalpur, Odisha, India.[4] She was 28 years old during the time of the
incident and worked with the tribals at the Divya jyoti Pastoral Centre in K Nuagaon, 12 km from Baliguda town in Kandhamal District.[5][6][7][8][9]

The nun was very active in spreading information about various central government employment schemes like the National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act, 2005 (NREGS) to the tribals. She was also helping the tribals with various micro-finance schemes. The non-tribal community were
reportedly angry after their business took a hit from the nun's work. During 2007 and early 2008, the social service organization, Jan Vikas, where she
worked was targeted several times. She asked for police protection, the day before the incident but the police did not respond.[9]

Incident [ edit ]

During the evening of 24 August 2008, a large mob arrived in front of the Divya jyoti centre where the nun was staying and she ran out through the back
door, along with a few others, into the forest and sheltered at the house of a Hindu man for the night. The mob later set the Divya jyoti centre on
fire.[10][11][6][12]

The rape incident happened around 1 p.m on 25 August. A mob of 2000 assembled near the house shouting "Bharat Mata ki jai", and about 40-50 men
armed with iron rods, lathis, sickles, axes, spades and crowbars entered the house where she was staying. They slapped her and pulled her out of the
house by her hair.[13] The nun also claimed two men attempted to decapitate her with an axe. Another priest who also took shelter in the house where
she stayed was also taken out and beaten. The priest alleged that the men shouted pro-Hindutva slogans and wore saffron bandanas.[14] The mob took
her to a burnt down building, tore off her upper clothing, and she was gang-raped with two of the attackers standing on her hands. She lost
consciousness and couldn't recall incidents after the assault.[15] The priest was also beaten up and doused with kersone by the mob who threatened to
set him on fire, as he protested. Another mob came there during the same time shouting "where is the nun" and "at-least hundred people should rape
her". The nun claimed that the mob then took her and the priest outside and were searching for a rope to tie them up and burn them alive.[5][15][11][6][16]

The mob then paraded the nun half-naked without her

The police failed to stop the misdemeanours and failed to defend me from the assailants,
upper clothing for more than a half-kilometer to a
they were friendly with the assailants, they tried their best to make sure that I did not
marketplace where people made lewd remarks such as
register an FIR and to not make complaints against the police, they didn't take down my
"Hi beautiful" and commented on the size of her
testimony as I recounted the incident in detail and deserted me half-way.
breasts.[16][18] The mob kept beating her and attempted
I was raped and now I don't want to be victimised by the police of Orissa. I want an
to strip her completely naked along the way. The nun
investigation from the CBI.
claimed that when she asked for help from some
God bless India, God bless you all.
policemen and sat beside them, they did not even flinch.
As she was laying there in her blood, some people were -Sister Meena [17]
collecting tyres to burn her and the priest alive.[19] The
mob then took them to a police outpost along with a
policeman. The nun claimed that the mob said they would return after taking a food break, and that the police were very friendly with a man who attacked
her, and discouraged her from filing a first information report (FIR).[5][15][11] The report by the Indian People's Tribunal confirmed all the incidents.[16]

The nun and priest were then taken to a hospital for medical check ups, and in several instances, the police kept them inside the jeep or in the garages
fearing attacks on the police station by mobs, and then took them to a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp.[5][20]

On the evening of the same day, the doctor who did medical tests on the nun confirmed that she had been raped.[21][22]

Convictions [ edit ]

On 3 October 2008, the Police Chief of Khandamal district, confirmed the rape and arrested 4 people in connection with the incident.[21] On 25 October
2008, the nun was asked by the police to help identify the rapists.[23] 27 people were arrested in connection with the incident by 2012.[24]

On 14 March 2014, 3 people were convicted for the rape, and 6 people were acquitted due to lack of evidence.[25][26] The key accused was given a jail
time of 11 years, but was granted bail in 2016.[27][28]

Aftermath [ edit ]

Her public appeal mounted pressure on the ruling party to ban Bajrang Dal, a Sangh Parivar group which was the most accused of orchestrating the
Kandhamal riots. However the ruling party reportedly feared as such a move would mobilize the vote-banks towards the Bhartiya Janata
Party.[14][29][30][31]

See also [ edit ]

Jhabua nuns rape case

References [ edit ]

1. ^ "10 years after Kandhamal riots, both sides say they await justice" . The 16. ^ a b c "National People's Tribunal on Kandhamal - Final report" (PDF).
Indian Express. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2020. National People's Tribunal. 22–24 August 2010.
2. ^ "10 years of Kandhamal riots: What happened and where do the cases 17. ^ "Nun's statement details rape, violence" . www.rediff.com. Retrieved
stand today?" . Moneycontrol. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2020. 18 April 2020.
3. ^ "Christians seek justice seven years after Kandhamal riots" . Reuters. 8 18. ^ "Nun paraded half-nude after rape: Orissa govt" . NDTV.com. Retrieved
September 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2020. 19 April 2020.
4. ^ Arimbra, Ameen. "Fading shades of Secularism: Case Study Kandhamal 19. ^ " 'As I lay bloodied, they collected tyres to burn me' - Indian Express" .
Violence" . {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
5. ^ a b c d "Raped Orissa nun surfaces, recounts horror" . www.rediff.com. 20. ^ "Nun"s tale haunts humanity in Kandhamal" . India Today. 26 October
Retrieved 18 April 2020. 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
6. ^ a b c "Nun was gang raped and priest brutally assaulted in Kandhamal" . 21. ^ a b "Four arrested over India nun rape" . 3 October 2008. Retrieved
The Hindu. 30 September 2008. ISSN 0971-751X . Retrieved 18 April 18 April 2020.
2020. 22. ^ "NDTV.com: Medical reports confirm Kandhmal nun raped" . 3 October
7. ^ "Hindu girl gang-raped, murdered in Orissa" . oneindia.com. 4 October 2008. Archived from the original on 3 October 2008. Retrieved 18 April
2008. Retrieved 18 April 2020. 2020.
8. ^ "Kandhamal: Nun rape trial begins - Indian Express" . 23. ^ "Orissa asks nun to help identify rapists-India-The Times of India" . The
archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 18 April 2020. Times of India. 28 October 2008. Archived from the original on 28 October
9. ^ a b Outlook . Vol. 48. Outlook Publishing. 10 November 2008. 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
10. ^ "India: The Hindu woman who risked her life to save a group of nuns" . 24. ^ "Kandhamal rape-case accused arrested" . The Hindu. 7 August 2012.
lastampa.it (in Italian). 24 August 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2020. ISSN 0971-751X . Retrieved 18 April 2020.
11. ^ a b c "Kandhamal 8 Years After: The Persistence of Memory As Retold By 25. ^ PTI (14 March 2014). "2008 Kandhamal nun gang-rape case: 3 people
Sister M" . The Citizen. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. convicted, 6 acquitted | India News - Times of India" . The Times of India.
Retrieved 18 April 2020. 26. ^ "2008 Kandhamal nun gangrape case: 3 convicted, 6 acquitted" . India
12. ^ "Nun was paraded half-nude after rape: Govt" . Hindustan Times. 23 July Today. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
2009. Retrieved 19 April 2020. 27. ^ Correspondent (14 March 2014). "11-year RI for key accused in
13. ^ TNN (4 October 2008). "38 days later, Orissa govt admits nun's rape | Kandhamal rape case" . The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X . Retrieved 18 April
India News - Times of India" . The Times of India. Retrieved 18 April 2020. 2020.
14. ^ a b "Nun Meena Lalita Barwa tells of brutal rape by Hindu mob in India - 28. ^ Jaiswal, Binita (20 January 2016). "Prime accused of Kandhamal nun-rape
Times Online" . 10 May 2011. Archived from the original on 10 May case granted bail" . The Times of India. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
2011. Retrieved 18 April 2020. 29. ^ "A Flashback to Kandhamal Targeted Violence against Christians, 9 Years
15. ^ a b c Allen, John L. Jr. (2013). The global war on Christians: dispatches Later" . SabrangIndia. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
from the front lines of anti-Christian persecution (First ed.). New York: 30. ^ Farzand, Ahmed (5 November 2008). "Kandhamal beats Gujarat in
Crown Publishing Group. pp. 8–16. ISBN 978-0-7704-3735-0. violence statistics" . India Today. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
OCLC 858610913 . 31. ^ "Bajrang Dal planned Orissa violence: CPM" . The Economic Times. 25
October 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2020.

External links [ edit ]

/ National People's Tribunal on Kandhamal - Final Report

Categories: Violence against Christians in India Violence against Christians Anti-Christian sentiment in India Hate crimes in India
Attacks on churches in Asia Hindu nationalism Persecution by Hindus Persecution of Christians Sectarian violence
Hinduism-motivated violence in India Rape in India Violence against women in India Kandhamal district 2000s in Orissa
2008 crimes in India Crime in Odisha Indian case law Persecution of Christians by Hindus

This page was last edited on 3 November 2023, at 19:11 (UTC).

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