A 28-year-old Dalit woman of Bargarh district knocked the doors of Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Thursday alleging that her teenage daughter was gangraped by four persons in Barpali block and she was subjected to humiliation by police when she reported the matter.
The complainant, a resident of Kanbar village under Barpali block, submitted a petition before the Commission stating that the incident occurred on December 3, 2011 when the four accused barged into her house and forced themselves on her daughter.
When the matter was reported in Barapali police station, she said in her petition, the officer in-charge allegedly threatened the family to arrive at a compromise or face false charges.
She was asked to return to the police station two days later and when she did, the complainant reportedly found all the accused present there.
“I was coerced for a compromise. When I refused, the officer in-charge said no case will be registered in this connection and added that I cannot have my way since I am a Scheduled Caste woman,” the petitioner said.
While there has been pressure on her to withdraw the case, the complainant said, her uncle was framed in a false case and thrown behind bars because the family refused to buckle under pressure even as the accused roamed scot-free.
The woman demanded action against the four accused as well as the police while seeking compensation as prescribed under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.