Chandbali: Three back-to-back rape cases reported within just three days have sent shockwaves across Chandbali subdivision in Bhadrak district, sparking public anger, prompting a political slugfest and raising serious questions over law and order.
Police have registered three separate rape cases under the Chandbali subdivision over the last 72 hours — two at Chandbali police station and one at the Dhamra police station.
The incidents have deeply shaken residents of the otherwise peaceful coastal belt, with protests mounting and demands growing for stricter policing and swift justice.
Odisha Crime Branch categorised the rape and murder of a differently-abled minor girl in Chandbali NAC’s Baligaon area as a “red flag” case, highlighting its seriousness.
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Police arrested Babul Das of Rampalli village in connection with the case, following which angry locals ransacked his house.
Amid simmering tension over the Baligaon incident, another minor girl was allegedly raped by a 26-year-old man in her home in the area, following which she attempted suicide by consuming poison and is now hospitalised in a critical condition.
According to an FIR registered at Dhamnagar police station, the minor was alone at home cooking in the evening of December 17.
The accused allegedly gagged the girl with her own scarf and raped her. Before leaving, he warned the victim that her sisters, too, would face the same fate if she disclosed the matter.
Fearing social stigma and intimidation, the 17-year-old victim initially remained silent.
However, she later wrote a detailed account of the incident before consuming poison December 20 in a suicide attempt.
She was initially taken to Dhamara Community Health Centre, then to Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital and later shifted to a private nursing home in Cuttack, where her condition is stated to be serious.
The victim’s widowed mother approached Dhamara police with the handwritten note and lodged a formal complaint, prompting police action.
Acting on the complaint, Dhamra police registered a case (56/25) and arrested Gyanaranjan Pati, a resident of the same village in connection with the incident.
Dhamra PS Officer In-Charge Shobhan Swain recorded the victim’s statement Thursday night in Cuttack.
After medical examination, the accused was produced before Chandbali court Friday.
The accused’s family denies the allegations, claiming he has been falsely implicated and defamed.
In the third incident, a youth allegedly pushed a minor girl into the Baitarani River after he established a physical relationship with her on the promise of marrying her.
The incident has further intensified public concern over rising crimes against women and children in the region.
The political atmosphere has also heated up, as BJP, BJD and Congress leaders have engaged in mudslinging in the wake of the heinous crimes. Opposition parties have alleged administrative failure and a collapse of law and order, claims rejected by the ruling dispensation.
Locals have also raised concerns over the alleged rise in illicit drug trade in the area, linking it to the surge in violent crimes and demanding immediate action to curb narcotics circulation.
The back-to-back cases have intensified calls for stronger policing, fast-track trials, and decisive government action to restore public confidence and safety in the Chandbali subdivision.