Bhubaneswar – On Oct. 22, a 16‑year‑old Dalit girl from the Chandanpur area of Puri district in Odisha was allegedly gang‑raped by distant relatives. The shocking event came to light when the minor filed a complaint at the local police station on Friday night.
In the filing, the girl said that her uncle and a brother—both relatives from the same village—forced their way into her home while she and her seven‑year‑old sister slept. According to the report, the family had gone out to watch the immersion procession of Goddess Kali that evening and returned to find the crime had been committed.
The victim told her mother after the family came home, but many villagers reportedly pressured the family to stay silent. Undeterred, the girl and her mother went to Chandanpur police station on Friday and formally lodged their complaint. Police acted immediately, registered a case, and detained the two accused at the station, where they are now being interrogated.
The incident sparked a sharp response from Odisha’s main opposition, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). In a statement, the party demanded that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also serves as the home minister, resign. BJD slammed the state’s police system as “collapsed” and warned that criminals now operate with growing impunity.
BJD underscored the broader issue by noting that over 5,000 women in Odisha have reportedly been raped in the past 16 months. The party said the rising crime against women points to a failure of the current BJP‑led government to protect citizens, especially women.
Law‑and‑order critics say the politicisation of police erodes public trust and emboldens offenders. The Odisha police are now under pressure to deliver a swift investigation and ensure justice for the victim and her family.
Source: ianslive
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