Blot on Khaki: Two policemen arrested for allegedly raping minors in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj

Rairangpur/Jamda: An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and a home guard were arrested over alleged rape charges under Jamda police limits of Mayurbhanj district, yesterday. The accused cops earlier raped two minor girls in separate incidents, a source said today.

The two arrested are ASI Ananda Majhi (38) from Keonjhar district and home guard Debananda Patra (33) from Gulda village under Jamda block of Mayurbhanj.

According to the source, Ananda works at Jamda police station and resides alone in block quarters. A 17-year-old girl used to work as domestic help at the ASI’s residence. Taking advantage of loneliness, the cop had raped the minor. After the girl narrated her plight to her paternal aunt-in-law, the latter lodged an FIR with local police on October 14 and based on the FIR a probe was initiated.

Debananda, apart from his job as a home guard, practices sorcery. The policeman had raped a minor on October 13. On the pretext of curing an ailing elderly woman, Debananda took a minor granddaughter of the woman to a secluded place after the fall of night and raped her. He had asked the girl to burn an earthen lamp alone to help him perform sorcery leading to the outrage of modesty of the girl.

After the rape survivor’s family came to know about this, her maternal uncle lodged an FIR with police on October 15, the official source added.

Jamda police registered two separate cases against Ananda and Debananda in these connections and arrested the accused duo. Case No-83/2023 was previously registered against the ASI and case No-82/2023 was registered against the home guard, respectively.

Both accused Ananda and Debananda were forwarded to a local court yesterday. On being asked, Jamda police station IIC Minati Naik remained silent and avoided giving her views.