Bhubaneswar, March 28: The Congress today embarrassed itself again by stalling the Assembly proceedings over the alleged rape of a young woman in a running car in the city, based on the report in a vernacular daily.

However, police commissioner Y.B. Khurania said that no such incident had taken place. The House had to be adjourned for nearly an hour earlier following uproarious scenes.

"After the news report was published, I had asked the deputy commissioner of police to conduct an inquiry. It revealed that no such victim had approached the police. We have not received any complaint," said Khurania.

According to the newspaper, the victim was, on March 25, picked up by a taxi driver from Cuttack. She was gang-raped by two other youths travelling in the same car on way to Bhubaneswar.

The Congress had, on March 18, faced an embarrassing situation in the Assembly for accusing the police of issuing summons to sitting Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati for his alleged links with former party MLA Ramesh Jena. The party had stalled the House proceedings on the basis of a news report. After the police maintained that no such notice had been issued to the MLA, Opposition leader Narasingha Mishra had regretted the issue.

Today, Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati raised the alleged gang-rape issue in the House and said the incident had exposed how insecure women were in Bhubaneswar. "Women in the city are being raped in running vehicles like in Delhi," he said.

"Though the incident had allegedly taken place three days ago, no arrest had been made so far. The police only say that investigation is on," the Congress leader had said.

Since the chief minister headed the home department, Bahinipati urged deputy Speaker Sananda Marandi to direct him to make a statement in the House. When Marandi ignored the demand, the Congress MLAs led by Bahinipati stormed the Well and disrupted the proceedings. Some of them were seen trying to climb on the Speaker's podium and snatch his microphone.