Dalit college student gangraped, Oppn parties raise question of women's safety in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Sep 16 (PTI) The gang rape of a 19-year-old Dalit college student at a famous tourist place in Odisha's Puri district became a major political issue with the opposition BJD and Congress on Tuesday targeting the BJP government, accusing the saffron dispensation of "completely failing" to ensure the safety of women in the state.

The incident took place on Saturday around noon, and the matter came to light after the victim lodged an FIR at Puri Sadar police station on Monday evening. The woman student was allegedly gang raped by two local youths of Brahmagiri area after assaulting her male companion. The couple had been to a casuarina forest in the backyard of Maa Baliharachandi temple.

The police have arrested three persons, including two youths who raped her, Puri SP Prateek Singh said. The prime accused persons have been identified as Siba Sahoo and Manoj Sahoo alias Kalia, who allegedly raped the woman, the SP said.

"Kalia was nabbed from Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border," a senior police officer said, adding that the two prime accused were booked under different sections of the BNS, including gang rape and the SC-ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The third person was taken into custody for assaulting the victim and her boyfriend. A search is on to nab the fourth person who assaulted the rape survivor, he said.

Puri District Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida said the survivor is getting proper medical care, and she will get justice. "The police investigation into the matter is underway, and appropriate steps are being taken to ensure justice." Meanwhile, the incident sparked a statewide outrage with Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik alleging the state's BJP government of "miserably failing" to provide a sense of security among women.

Patnaik, also the president of Biju Janata Dal, expressed his anguish and shock over the gang rape of a student on Saturday near Baliharchandi temple in Puri district, about 50 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar.

"The BJP administration of Odisha has failed miserably to create confidence in the system where our daughters feel safe, valued and heard -- leave aside empowerment," Patnaik said in a post on X.

Ridiculing the BJP government, Patnaik said, "Every time we hear the same rehearsed statements: people's government is taking strict action, ensuring women's safety and sparing no one".

The former chief minister noted that the victims and family members of Gopalpur (where a college student was raped on June 15, Balasore (Where a woman student committed self-immolation and died on July 14), Balanga (where a minor girl was allegedly set ablaze on July 19), and many other victims, who died in desperation, are still waiting for justice.

"It is heartrending to witness such horrifying patterns of violence against women reported across #Odisha. While the BJP leaders engage in theatrical display of concern, the predators prowl on broad daylight with impunity," Patnaik said, adding that if such a crime happens near a very popular tourist place, often thronged by tourists from across the world, it will tarnish the image of Odisha within the country and internationally.

"The sooner the BJP govt takes the strongest action, women of Odisha will feel safe again," he said while the Biju Mahila Janata Dal, the women's wing of the BJD, announced that it will stage demonstrations before SP offices across the state on September 17 and submit memorandums demanding safety of women in the state.

A BJD finding team rushed to the victim's house to interact with the survivor. The team was led by former Speaker Pramilla Mallick.

The Congress in a social media post dubbed the prevailing situation as Odisha's 'Jungle Raj'.

"Women's safety has become a joke under the BJP government. The brutality in Puri is proof of this," Odisha Congress said in a post on X.

Addressing a press conference, Congress leader Sonali Sahoo came down heavily on the state's BJP government and warned of a statewide agitation. She said crimes against women in Odisha are showing no signs of stopping.

Sahoo criticised Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who is also in charge of women and child development and tourism.

"After the gang rape at Gopalpur, Parida had said that full security will be provided at all tourist destinations. Where is security at Baliharachandi area?" she asked.

"It is really sordid that 15 rapes happen every day in Odisha, over 40,000 women are missing in the state, and women's voices against rape are not heard," said OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das.

"Under the BJP government, women's safety is just part of election speeches. In reality, criminals here are fearless, and women are forced to live in the shadow of fear. Shameful," the Congress said.

Local Brahmagiri MLA and BJP leader Upasana Mohapatra said, "As a woman and an MLA, I am extremely sorry over the matter. The Puri police have acted swiftly and arrested the accused persons as soon as possible. No culprit will be shielded as done during the previous BJD rule." PTI AAM SOM AAM RG