13-year-old sexually assaulted in Mayurbhanj

Mayurbhanj: A 13-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, police said Monday.

The family members of the victim alleged that the minor was gang raped Sunday, but Mayurbhanj additional superintendent of police (ASP) Deepak Kumar Gochayat said it was a case of sexual assault and not a case of gang rape.

The ASP said the police acted promptly and detained three persons for their alleged involvement in the incident after registering a case at Rairangpur Town Police Station under the provisions of POCSO and BNS.

Based on the preliminary investigation, the ASP said the minor girl had gone to a secluded place with a male friend on a motorcycle on Sunday, where she was sexually assaulted by him.

The minor’s elder sister was also there at a distance, talking to one of the accused persons while her sister was being abused in nearby forests. The two girls had gone to the forest area with the four accused persons.

The ASP said that the three accused persons, identified as Sk Makbul, Sk Tipu, and Sk Omaan, were detained while Sk Zabed was absconding.

Another case of a woman allegedly gang raped was reported from Patnagarh police station area in Bolangir district, the police said. While the alleged crime took place on June 8, the victim reported the matter to the police June 14, following which the four accused were arrested.

Another such incident was reported from a village under the Kodinga police station area in Nabarangpur district, where a 21-year-old woman was found dead in mysterious circumstances. Her body was recovered from the back side of her house, police said.

The family members in their complaint said that the victim had gone outside Sunday night to celebrate the Raja festival, and she joined swing play with a friend till 9 pm. Later, she was not seen by friends, the family members said, adding that her body was discovered early Monday morning. There were injury marks on her body, the family alleged.

Nabarangpur SP Kashyap Parth Jagdish, who visited the spot, said, “The death is mysterious. But we cannot say now whether it was a case of rape and murder. The exact cause of death will be determined after the post-mortem report. Strict action will be taken after investigation.”

No one was either detained or arrested in the Nabarangpur case.

Meanwhile, the opposition BJD expressed concern over the safety of women and minors in the state and demanded an immediate, impartial probe and stringent action against the culprits. The party strongly condemned the three rape cases and also the arrest and assault of a woman sarpanch in Kendrapara district.

“While the state government is busy celebrating its two-year anniversary and promotions, the law and order situation is deteriorating by the day. Such heinous incidents during a festive and joyous time like Raja Parba has deeply shocked the people of Odisha and raised serious questions about the government’s responsibility toward the protection of women and children,” said Biju Chhatra Janata Dal President Ipsita Sahoo.