'Her life's in danger': Rape survivor’s father appeals to govt to shift daughter to Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar (PTI): The father of a 23-year-old woman, who was allegedly gangraped in West Bengal’s Durgapur, on Sunday appealed to the Odisha government to shift her to Bhubaneswar for treatment, citing a threat to her life.
The survivor, a second-year MBBS student, is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Durgapur.
Her parents, residents of Jaleswar in Balasore district, rushed to West Bengal after being informed about the incident.
"I appeal to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to help shift my daughter to Bhubaneswar. I fear that her life may be in danger," the father told PTI over phone from Durgapur.
The Dalit woman was allegedly raped by three men while she had gone out of the campus with a male student around 8pm on Friday, officials said.
The student's father said the family felt unsafe in West Bengal and was "too frightened to trust anyone".
"They (not taking any name) will kill my daughter. Her health condition has improved, but there is danger to her life. I cannot trust them," he said.
"I am hiding in Durgapur, while my wife, a diabetic, stands at the bedside of our daughter in the hospital," he added.
The father made a plea to the Odisha government after a team of officials from Balasore visited the hospital on Saturday, acting on the direction of Majhi, who had spoken to him over phone the same night.
Asked about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s reported remark that girls should not venture out of campus at night, the father said: "This is completely false. I see an attempt to suppress the incident. My daughter had not gone out at midnight—it was just 8 pm on Friday."
He further alleged that the survivor had gone out with a male companion who fled the scene during the attack and did not alert anyone.
"She was attacked between 8 and 9 pm. Her male companion ran away and did not raise an alarm or seek help. The miscreants then dragged her into a jungle area and did unspeakable things to her," he claimed.
Additional District Magistrate of Balasore, Hemant Singh, who visited the hospital, said, "The West Bengal Police has arrested three people within 36 hours of the incident. We are satisfied and hope that justice will be done to the victim."
A four-member team from the Balasore district administration, including District Social Welfare Officer Jyotsna Mohanty, also met the family.
"The survivor’s condition is gradually improving. We have assured the family that the Odisha government stands firmly with them. Necessary coordination is being maintained with the West Bengal Police," Mohanty said.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Pratap sarangi came down heavily on the Banerjee government and blamed the chief minister for "complete breakdown" of the law and order in the state.
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Virudhunagar firecracker unit blast: Toll climbs to 25, Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia announced
Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu) (PTI): With most bodies charred beyond recognition, identification remains difficult, police said on Monday, as the toll in the massive explosion at a fireworks unit near Kattanarpatti here rose to 25.
The Virudhunagar district administration has announced Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia to the kin of deceased.
The accident is one of the deadliest industrial disasters in the region in recent years.
"Bodies were so badly charred that we were able to identify mostly with jewellery that the victims were wearing," a police official told PTI.
He said that the families have not yet claimed the bodies due to the uncertainly in the identities.
The factory owner is absconding, he added.
The accident occurred at the Vanaja firecracker unit, owned by one Muthumanickam, which functions under the Vachakarapatti police station limits.
The unit is reportedly licensed by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), Nagpur.
Post-mortem reports have established that the 25 victims, include 22 women and three men, the police official added.
Eight workers, mostly women, are critically injured with 60 per cent burn injuries. Twelve others, including eight policemen, were injured in a second blast on Sunday evening while rescue operations were underway.
Rescue operations were severely hampered for hours, as unexploded materials continued to detonate.
A second blast at 7.20 pm, triggered as an earthmover was clearing debris, caused chaos and injured several responders, including a revenue official.
Meanwhile, sources said about 1,000 people, including the families of the victims and residents of nearby villages, are threatening a road roko, demanding the arrest of the owner of the factory.
Local eyewitnesses, including Ranganathan from the nearby Seervaikarampatti village, described hearing a massive blast that sent "thick black smoke" into the sky.
"Nothing was recognisable. We saw bodies being loaded four at a time into vehicles," he told PTI Videos.
Many of the deceased were from Seervaikarampatti village, with residents claiming that at least 20 victims belonged to their village.
Among those killed was 46-year-old Indrani, a veteran worker of 25 years.
"My mother was the sole breadwinner. My father is disabled and stays home. I have an MSc degree, but I’m working at a petrol bunk to help out, and we haven't even paid my brother's school fees yet," said Madhubala, Indrani’s daughter, while pleading for government employment assistance.
Virudhunagar Collector N O Sukhaputra confirmed that the unit was operating without permission on a rest day.
Preliminary findings suggest the blast originated in a chemical mixing shed, where nearly 40 workers were busy making crackers, a violation of safety norms that typically limit occupancy to four workers per shed.
"Had these workers followed primary safety norms, the casualties could have been minimal," a senior official stated.
Chief Minister M K Stalin has ordered a high-level probe and directed ministers to oversee relief efforts.
The tragedy follows a similar accident in Vembakottai just days earlier, which claimed four lives, intensifying calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations in the district’s firecracker hub.
The explosion occurred at approximately 3.15 pm on Sunday. Although the fireworks industry is officially shut on Sundays, over 100 workers were reportedly engaged in production.
Later in the day, Sukhaputra said Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia each has been finalised for the families of 25 persons killed in the explosion.
Speaking to PTI Videos, he said the ex gratia cheques are ready for immediate distribution to the legal heirs.
"Out of 25 deaths, we have finished conducting post-mortems on 22 bodies. Already we have cheques (that) are ready,” Sukhaputra said.
The announcement followed intense demands from grieving relatives for financial security and government employment.
