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Bhubaneswar, June 30: The suspense over whereabouts of Oriya actor Tatwa Prakash Satpathy and his aide Pradipta Swain ended Thursday with their arrest from a house in Puri by the special squad of the commissionerate police.
Satpathy alias Pappu Pom Pom and Swain alias Gitu were hiding in Neelachal Apartment in Puri before their arrest. The two had been absconding since they were charged with sexual assault, molestation and harassment of a minor girl June 27.
“We served them notice thinking they would cooperate with police as the charges were bailable. Instead, they fled the city. We arrested them as we suspected that they may not cooperate,” police commissioner YB Khurania said.
The two were allegedly involved in the casting couch case that came to light when a minor girl told a TV channel that the actor and his aide had molested her. The girl alleged that they lured her June 24 by promising her the role of a heroine role in an Oriya film.
Friends Foundation Trust, an NGO, lodged a complaint with Mahila police June 25, demanding a thorough probe into the allegation.
Mahila police sought the help of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) June 26 to conduct a probe into the incident. Subsequently, CWC member Nirupama Rath located the house of the victim and her family and interviewed them. Rath registered a case June 27 against the actor and his aide with Mahila police. “Prima facie, CWC found that the two had molested the minor girl sexually,” said Benudhar Senapati, another CWC member.
Senapati had also pointed out that the police should not have served notices to them and should have arrested them. “In cases of charges under POCSO, the police should straightaway arrest the accused,” he said.
The CWC also asked the child development project officer (CDPO) to counsel the girl and her family to help them overcome the trauma.
Bhubaneswar deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi took charge of protecting the minor girl and her family, as required by the law.
Earlier in the day, BJP Mahila Morcha gheraoed the Mahila police station demanding the immediate arrest of the actor. Mahila Morcha president Simantini Jena had alleged that the state government was shielding the actor, a BJD leader who had been suspended by his party Wednesday.
