Odisha cop held for raping 13-year-old girl

The 55-year-old inspector, who had been in hiding for over a week, was arrested from a forest in Angul district by a special CID team.

Odisha police on Wednesday dismissed and arrested a police inspector for raping a 13-year-old tribal girl repeatedly in the police station and getting her pregnancy terminated.

After successive sexual assaults, the girl got pregnant and the inspector then forced her to terminate the pregnancy at a clinic.(HT Photo)

Director general of police Abhay dismissed inspector Anand Kumar Majhi of Biramitrapur police station in Sundargarh district from service after initial investigations revealed that he had raped the minor in a room of police station in March this year. After successive sexual assaults, the girl got pregnant and the inspector then forced her to terminate the pregnancy at a clinic.

The 55-year-old inspector, who had been in hiding for over a week, was arrested from a forest in Angul district by a special CID team. Additional director general of police (CID) Soumendra Priyadarshi said Majhi had kept his mobile phones switched off so tracking him had been difficult.

DGP Abhay later tendered a public apology for Majhi’s act calling it “shameful”. Six persons, including the inspector, doctor and the girl’s stepfather, have been named as accused in the FIR.

The survivor had gone to visit a fair at Maoist-affected area of Biramitrapur in Sundargarh district on March 25 but the event was cancelled due to the lockdown. A police patrol team found her roaming near a bus stand and took her to the police station. There, Majhi allegedly raped her and let her go the next morning. After that, she was often called to the police station and raped by some policemen, including the inspector.

The matter came to light after the child, who was seen crying outside the police station last week, was rescued by a local NGO and handed over to the district child protection officer who lodged a complaint with Raiboga police station.

CID officials said the charge sheet would be filed within 60 days for trial before a fast track court.

Meanwhile, the girl has been medically examined and is being kept at a child shelter home in Bisra area of Sundargarh district.