Odisha HC directs DGP to take steps to trace missing woman

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Sept 29:

The Odisha High Court has directed the state Director General of Police (DGP) to take necessary steps to trace out a missing woman from Odisha in the Surat area of Gujarat since July this year.

The directive of the court came in response to a writ filed by Adhira Kumar Panda, brother of the missing woman.

Stating that the Gujarat police have not taken any steps to trace out his missing sister, Panda had urged early intervention of the court.

The court, in its order asked the state DGP to expedite the investigation in the case in coordination with his Gujarat counterpart since the incident had occurred there.

As per the case records, Soudamini Panda and her husband Niranjan Panda from Naugaon village under Kakatpur police station limits of Puri district were working as daily wage labourers in Surat.

The incident took place after Soudamini complained to her house owner about a sex racket being run by a family in the apartment in which she was staying with her husband.

Acting on the complaint, the house owner asked the accused family from the apartment.

After a week of the incident, Soudamini had gone to a nearby market on July 7 this year.

But as she did not return, the family members had lodged a complaint with the police alleging that she has been abducted by the members of the family against whom she had lodged a complaint.

But as the police did not take any step to rescue the missing woman, Soudamini decided to move the Odisha High Court.