Bhubaneswar, Nov. 10: A Kandhamal magistrate today asked an Orissa nun to show up for an identification parade of her alleged rapists at Baliguda next week, rejecting her plea for a month’s time to appear in court.

The court declined to put off further the parade that was slated for today but could not be held because the nun stayed away. Earlier, it had sent the nun a notice to appear in court and co-operate with proceedings. But the nun moved a petition through advocate Manas Ranjan Singh seeking a month’s time and a shift in venue of the identification parade to Delhi.

Dolagovind Barik, the sub-divisional judicial magistrate of Baliguda, remained silent on the venue request, simply saying the parade would be conducted at Baliguda within its jurisdiction.

According to additional public prosecutor S. Loknath Dora, the request for change of venue had figured in the petition but was not included in the main prayer made to the court.

Earlier, jail authorities had arranged for 100 people to be present at the identification parade after Orissa police arrested 10 persons in connection with the alleged rape of the nun on August 25.

“She is ready to co-operate but she could not travel as she is undertaking treatment and yet to recover from trauma fully,” Raphael Cheenath, the archbishop of the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar diocese said.

The nun’s advocate, too, said much the same thing. “She is under trauma counselling. So she could not come here to attend the test identification parade.”

He clarified the nun “had no objection” to co-operating with the crime branch probe into the case, though she had earlier put her foot down saying she did not have faith in Orissa police.

The nun was allegedly raped at K Nuagaon in riot-hit Kandhamal during the Orissa bandh on August 25. She was stripped, violated and then paraded naked, according to a complaint lodged the next day.