‘15-year-old raped by 2 for over 20 days in Odisha’s Cuttack’: Police

Cuttack deputy commissioner of police Prateek Singh said one person in the case has been arrested, while the hunt for the second person is on.

A 15-year-old girl has been rescued after two men allegedly gang-raped her for 22 days in Cuttack city, said police, adding that the accused also filmed the incident and had threatened the girl. Cuttack deputy commissioner of police Prateek Singh said one person in the case has been arrested. Hunt for his accomplice is on, said police.

The accused also recorded the video of the incident and threatened to kill the girl or post the video on social media if she attempted to escape or dared to report the matter, said police. (Representative photo: @cpbbsrctc)

“We have launched a manhunt for the other accused. A team has been constituted to nab the second accused,” said Singh.

Police said a minor girl from Jagatsinghpur district, a Std IX student, had come to stay with her elder sister and brother-in-law in Professorpada area of Cuttack city about three weeks ago unable to bear the torture of his father. However, her brother-in-law did not want to keep her in his home for long and asked her to go back to Jagatsinghpur, said police.

Slamming the government, opposition BJP on Wednesday launched a scathing attack, asking how can the ruling BJD claim support of women voters when they are not safe.

“Crime against women is on the rise in the state. The Class-IX girl student who was gang-raped for 22 days is from Tirtol, how will the government face the people during the forthcoming bypoll? How come the police were unaware of the incident? What was the police doing,” asked state BJP leader Lekhashree Samantsinghar.

“State Women Commission chief speaks up when it suits BJD’s political purpose. Similarly, the women and child development minister, home minister and chief minister who make tall claims about women safety are completely silent,” she added.

On September 20, while waiting for a bus at OMP square in Cuttack, a youth named Santosh Behera approached her and promised to bring her to Badambadi bus stand by giving false assurances, said police. As it was getting dark, the police added, the girl was anxious to return to Jagatsinghpur but Behera instead took her to a farmhouse of his friend Raka near Gatiroutpatna on the pretext of taking her home.

“The youth along with his associate Raka sexually abused the girl at the farm for 22 days. They also recorded the video of the incident and threatened to kill her or post the video on social media if she attempted to escape or dared to report the matter,” said a police official of Chauliaganj police station. A case under sections 376 D( gang rape), 376 A (causing death to victim) and section 34 (common intention) of the IPC and section 6 of Pocso Act have been lodged against the accused at Chauliaganj police station.

Police accidentally rescued her on October 12 evening after receiving a tip-off about a sex racket in the area when they found her in the farmhouse. The girl was then handed to the District Childline for counselling.

“The mental and physical condition of the victim is not good. She is very much scared. In her statement before the District Child Protection Officer, she has narrated about her ordeal. We have contacted the Childline in Jagatsinghpur district for informing her family there. We are also trying to contact her elder sister in Cuttack,” said coordinator of Cuttack childline Narayan Shukla.