Two minors allegedly gangraped in Odisha district; accused remain at large

The two minor girls along with a 28-year-old woman of their village were returning home after watching a jatra (folk) theatre on April 16 morning when they were stopped by five persons

Updated on: Apr 20, 2023, 18:27:15 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Two minor girls were allegedly gangraped by five youths in Odisha’s Kalahandi district, police said on Thursday.

The accused allegedly took the two minor girls to a secluded place and committed the crime. (Representative file image)

Though the incident happened in the wee hours of April 16, the families lodged an FIR (first information report) at the Bijepur police station on Wednesday evening.

Bijepur police station inspector-in-charge Lingaraj Sethy said the two minor girls along with a 28-year-old woman of their village were returning home after watching a jatra (folk) theatre on April 16 morning when they were stopped by five persons.

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The 28-year-old woman somehow managed to escape and reported to the villagers.

The accused allegedly took the two minor girls to a secluded place and committed the crime.

Police official said the accused have been identified and will be arrested soon.

Charges under relevant sections of the IPC (Indian Penal Code), POCSO Act (The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012), and the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have been slapped on the accused.

Kalahandi Adivasi Sangha president Prakash Majhi threatened protests if the accused were not arrested within 24 hours.

“The vulnerable tribal community needs special attention and protection. A special team of the Sangha will visit the area to take stock of the situation. Further course action will be decided after a meeting of the executive body,” he said.

BJP MP Basanta Kumar Panda expressed his concern over the incident.

He said the accused men need to be arrested immediately and prosecuted.

“According to the latest NCRB (National Crime Record Bureau) report, Odisha is leading in rape cases and this incidence substantiates it. There is a strong discontent among the tribal community following the incident,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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