Minor girl gang-rape in Bhubaneswar: Court sends four accused to jail

Bhubaneswar: The POCSO Court today rejected the bail pleas of four persons including two employees of private news channel OTV who were arrested for their alleged involvement in a minor girl gang-rape case.

Also, the court sent the four accused, Aniruddha Panda, Krushna Behera and security guards Sribascha Samal and Bijaya Rout to a 14-day judicial custody. Following this, the accused were lodged at Jharpada jail in Bhubaneswar.

Opposing the bail pleas, the victim’s counsel Sitanshu Mohan Diwvedi said the Crime Branch arrested the four accused yesterday after collecting enough evidence against them. “If they are granted bails, the accused might destroy the evidences,” Diwvedi stated. Three more accused are yet to be nabbed.

Arguing in favour of the four accused, Advocate Dharanidhara Nayak said there were no truth behind the allegations. The charges are being made against them only to settle political scores. “The evidences that must be presented in the court have been missing in the case,” Nayak added.

Worth mentioning, a case was registered at the Bhubaneswar Mahila Police station case no 44 dated 30.08.2002 under section 376 DA/376 (2) (n)/ 506/34 IPC read with Sec 6 POCSO Act.