Bhubaneswar, March 4: “It’s good that police have arrested our father. Now my sister and I are safe. Our neighbours, too, will have some peace finally,” said Sarojini, barely 12 years old.

Sarojini and Rajani are the two daughters of 40-year-old Karunakar Das, a rape and murder accused. Das’s arrest on March 2 led to a mob attack on Haldipada outpost. The mob wished to kill Das and when police intervened, a clash ensued in which 22 personnel and 50 villagers were hurt.

A resident of Dumuda, Das allegedly raped and murdered a seven-year-old of neighbouring Naharpatana village in Balasore on Saturday. Sarojini and Rajani (10) believe that they “hate” their father. “My father is a bad man. This is not his first crime. He would often drink and come home to beat us up. He also tried to sexually abuse my sister and me. I want him to be given the death penalty,” said the girl, her voice choked.

The two girls stress that fear of their father often made them run away to their uncle’s house. The two lost their mother 10 years ago. While Sarojini is a school dropout, sister Rajani studies in Class VI.

Though finally the girls are feeling safe, they also realise that with their father gone they have no money. “Though not good, he used to feed us. We have nothing left at home. The neighbours gave us some rice, but that too is over now,” she added.

“My younger sister studies in Class VI. How will she study?” asked the girl.

“The police asked us about our past but not about our future. No relatives seem concerned either,” she added.