BHUBANESWAR: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has issued notices to additional chief secretary, principal secretary of ST & SC Development department and DGP over alleged rape of a minor girl at the SSD girls hostel at Geneipada under Machkund police limits of Koraput district.
The three officials have been asked by NCST to submit a detailed report on the case and action taken on the matter within a week of receiving the notice.
The complaint was filed by BJD leaders Tukuni Sahu, Rajashree Mallick, Lopamudra Buxipatra and others, on May 5.
The incident had reportedly taken place on April 13 and as per the police complaint filed by the girl’s parents on April 30, she was sexually assaulted by some youths in the hostel.
The parents came to know about her plight when they went to the hostel to take her home for summer vacation.
Though a police complaint was registered, no arrests have been made yet. An investigation by the local district welfare officer revealed that the hostel inmates had on April 15 informed the headmistress (also the warden of the hostel) that some youths in inebriated condition were seen screaming outside the hostel campus on the fateful night. But, they were not aware of any crime committed on the girl.
Subsequently, the local administration put the headmistress Bhanupriya Roy under suspension for not informing the higher authorities about the nuisance created by the youths outside the hostel and also not filing a police complaint. Medical reports of the girl are awaited.
Considering the seriousness of the case, the NCST invoked its authority under Article 338A of the Constitution to investigate the complaint.
