Sambalpur: Despite a massive sensitisation drive by several government and private agencies, sexual harassment cases have been on the rise in the district.
Over last 32 months, as many as 212 women have been raped in the district. These cases were registered at various police stations between January 2013 and August 2016, official sources said. Besides, many cases go unregistered with the victims hesitating to file complaints due to family pressure or fear of character assassination, a report said.
The dark facts reflect an ineptitude and negligence of the police administration, locals alleged. On the other hand, several files of rape cases have been gathering dust at Sasan, Burla, Rairakhol, Charmal, Kuchinda and Mahulpali police stations of the district since 2010. The accused in these cases are roaming scot free as police have failed to arrest them. In some cases, the police have shielded the accused, it was alleged.
For instance, a girl was abducted and subsequently raped by a youth December 11, 2010 under Sasan police limits. Though the police registered a case in the matter, the accused is yet to be arrested even five years after the crime. Similarly, a woman was raped June 13, 2013 under Mahulpali police limits but the case has not gone beyond the registration stage. Several such cases were registered at various police stations across the district over last few years. However, the police are yet to make arrest in these cases.
According to reports, 81 women including minor girls were raped in 2014 while the number shot to 91 in 2015. Similarly, the number of rape victims till end of August in 2016 arrived at 40. But police managed to arrest only 46 in this connection. PNN
