Bhubaneswar, Aug. 30: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought reports in connection with the murder of four schoolchildren in Deogarh district and the gangrape of a woman on the Bank of Baroda premises in Cuttack on June 6.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the state police is investigating both the cases.

While NHRC has sought reports from the Deogarh district collector and superintendent of police in connection with the murder of four schoolchildren of Rangamatia village within six weeks, it has asked the state director-general of police (DGP) to submit a report on the Cuttack gangrape within four weeks.

In both the cases, the commission has sought details on how the incidents took place and how far have the police progressed in their investigations. It has also asked the authorities concerned to take immediate action against the guilty.

Four schoolchildren of Rangamatia village were hacked to death in July this year. The bodies of Eliza Deb (10), Sagarika Deb (10), Julie Deb (8) and Dolamani Deb (7) were recovered from a pond on July 2.

The incident had triggered a furore in the Assembly during the budget session with the Opposition describing the incident as a fall-out of political acrimony.

While the state government had announced a crime branch probe into the incident, the prime accused is still at large.

On the night of June 6, five policemen allegedly accosted a Dalit woman near Bank of Baroda in Cuttack and took turns to rape her inside the building.