Four booked for Odisha gangrape after mounting pressure

After pressure from the public and direction from the higher authorities, Odisha Police Tuesday registered a criminal case against four people for the alleged gangrape of a woman in the Puri district nearly a month and a half ago.

The action came a day after the state Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognizance of the matter after a public outcry, and directed police to register a case and submit an action taken report within three days.

The 19-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped Nov 28 last year by some people near Arjunagoda, her village about 10 km from state capital Bhubaneswar. Her family alleges the accused were the same people who had assaulted her in 2008 and against whom she had put up a determined fight in court.

The woman is currently admitted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar in a state of coma after the assault.

“Police have registered a criminal case against four peole. Besides, we are taking steps for the medical examination of the victim,” police inspector Amulya Chamaptiray told IANS Tuesday.

The family members alleged the woman was first assaulted by the same group of men in January 2008 a few days after she allegedly protested the molestation of her friend by them. Unable to bear the trauma, her friend had then committed suicide.

However, the woman survived the assault and was determined to stand and fight the case in court to punish the culprits. The miscreants had also allegedly attacked her house Feb 18 the same year after she became a court witness in the molestation case.
Based on her statements, police had arrested two of the accused that year.

The family believes the same group of people, who were roaming around after coming
out on bail, committed the latest crime to avenge their arrest in the molestation case.

They accuse the police of inaction despite repeated complaints.

However, Chamaptiray said police had not received any specific complaints against the suspects. He said the investigation is on to find out if the latest crime has anything to do with the 2008 incidents.