A physically challenged woman was allegedly raped by her neighbour in Odisha’s Puri district on Friday night.
The incident took place in the Brahmagiri police station area, about 30km from Puri town. The accused, a middle-aged man, allegedly entered the woman’s house when her family was away and sexually assaulted her. A case was registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) following the victim’s complaint. The woman underwent a medical examination and the accused has been arrested and produced in court.
BJD vice-president and former Brahmagiri MLA Sanjay Dasburma condemned the incident and highlighted a rise in crimes against women in Odisha. He said this was the second such incident in the area in recent months, recalling the gang rape of a 19-year-old girl near the Baliharchandi temple on September 13.
Dasburma said 40,947 cases of crime against women have been reported during the BJP’s 18-month rule, including 3,205 rape cases, 1,476 sexual assault cases and 49 dowry death cases. He cited recent incidents in Chandbali, Bhadrak, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar as signs of a breakdown in law and order.
He referred to the December 17 rape of a girl in Bhadrak, who allegedly attempted suicide days later and the rape and murder of a minor girl in Chandbali on December 23 that triggered protests. He also cited the December 10 Dhauli gang rape and the Gopalpur case in June, where girls were raped in front of male companions.
