Odisha: College girl from Kendrapara gangraped in Cuttack; BJP holds demo

Bhubaneswar: A college girl from Kendrapara district in Odisha was allegedly gangraped by some miscreants in a hotel in Cuttack city recently.

Seeking stern action against the accused, the activists of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today held a demonstration in front of the Kudanagari police station in Kendrapara.

As per the allegations, the 17-year-old girl, a Plus-II student of a college in Kendrapara, was offered sedative-laced soft drink by one of her friends on their campus on October 17.

Once she fell unconscious, the girl was taken to a hotel in Cuttack city in a car by some miscreants. The girl was allegedly gangraped by the miscreants in the hotel.

The victim, somehow, managed to reach home the next day and informed about the incident to her parents. The victim’s family had lodged a complaint in this regard with police.

Acting upon the complaint, police launched a probe and detained the girl’s friend who had drugged her. Subsequently, the police arrested three persons in connection with the incident.

The accused have been identified as Ranjit Swain, the manager of a hotel in Cuttack, Suryakant Sahoo of Athagarh and Satya Ranjan Sahoo of Cuttack.

The BJP activists, however, alleged the involvement of some staffers of the college, including a few lecturers, in the incident.

“We as well as the locals suspect the involvement of some staffers and lecturers of the college in the gangrape incident. We urged the police to arrest all those involved in the incident. The BJP will be forced to call for a bandh in Garadpur block of Kendrapara if the police fail to give justice to the victim,” said BJP leader Tejeswar Parida.

A six-member team of BJP women’s wing, led by party’s Odisha unit Mahila Morcha president Aishwariya Biswal, today met the victim and also held discussions with the college principal.

The college authorities, however, said they have no information in connection with the gangrape incident. “The girl was absent in the college on October 17. We have checked the attendance sheet,” said the college principal.

The police, however, said they are now probing the incident. “We are looking into all angles. No one will be spared if found involved in the incident,” said an official of Kudanagari police in Kendrapara.