Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday criticised the Mohan Charan Majhi government over the alleged gang-rape of a minor girl at Dhauli, a tourist site on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
The 17-year-old girl was gang-raped in front of her male friend on December 10. The incident came to light after police arrested two persons in this connection on Monday.
Making a scathing attack on the current government, Naveen posted on his X: “The state capital is turning unsafe for women. Criminals are becoming fearless and the government is losing credibility. How much more distorted does law and order need to be before the government wakes up? The government’s incompetence in preventing crime is instilling fear in the general public.”
Naveen further wrote: “The government should be more proactive in preventing such incidents. They should initiate action before it takes place and not just after they occur.”
Meanwhile, a team from the Odisha state commission for women visited the crime spot and asked the police to take steps to prevent such crimes and immediately arrest the third person involved. “However, I appeal to girls not to go to secluded places,” said chairman, state commission for women, Shovana Mohanty.
The minor girl along with her male friend, had gone to the Dhauli hill on a sightseeing trip. When they were returning around 7pm, four individuals intercepted them and asked the boy to hand over all the cash he was carrying. When the boy protested and refused to give the money, they attacked him. The girl intervened, but it enraged the criminals further.
They dragged the boy to the nearby Daya riverbank, tied him to a tree and later tore the girl’s clothes and sexually assaulted her. They even recorded the crime on their mobile phones. The torture continued till 9pm, sources said. Before leaving the spot, they threatened the couple with dire consequences if they talked to anyone about the incident. On December 11, the girl had lodged a complaint with the police regarding the robbery, but did not disclose anything about the gang-rape. She later lodged a complaint with the police about the gang-rape on December 12 after her mother confronted her.
Police have arrested two persons, Bibhu Prasad Mishra and Kalandi Patra, on December 15, while two others are absconding.