JAJPUR: A rerun of Nirbhaya gang-rape case, which shook the entire country in 2012, has been reported in Neulpur village within Dharmasala police limits in the district. Though the horrific incident took place two weeks back, it came to fore last night after a post went viral on social media. Shockingly, local police is yet to register a case despite being informed about the ghastly crime.
As per reports, the victim, a 36-year-old woman, was walking towards her home alone from the nearby market on November 29 evening when a youth of her village offered a lift on his motorcycle. The gullible woman accepted the offer and boarded the pillion of the youth’s bike. Instead of taking her home, the youth took the victim to the canal bridge near Saroi village where four miscreants were hiding. They then took turns to rape her.
On being identified by the woman, the miscreants tried to kill her by battering her head and body with a large stone. However, as some locals approached towards them, the accused youths then made the critically injured victim sit on the bike again but were spotted. The miscreants then tried to hoodwink the locals by attributing woman’s injuries to an accident. As more people gathered at the scene, the accused sensed trouble and fled.
The locals rushed the victim to a private clinic and later shifted her to Dharmasala hospital. Later, the woman was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack for treatment. Sources said the victim, who lives separately with her daughter in Neulpur after being deserted by her husband, is in coma and battling for life since the last 14 days. It is alleged that police are trying to cover up the incident as they are yet to register a case in this regard.
“All the accused are cattle smugglers and hence, have a good rapport with Dharmasala police. They have given huge money to the local police to bury the case,” alleged Sarbeswar Behura, an RTI activist of Neuli. Behura further said the ghastly incident would have gone unnoticed had the victim’s ordeal not gone viral on social media on Tuesday.
Jajpur SP Charan Singh Meena said police are yet to receive any complaint in this regard. However, the matter would be looked into, he added.