PURI: Puri police produced the prime accused in gang-rape of a minor girl, Jitendra Sethy, and his accomplice Rajesh Sethy in the SDJM court on Tuesday. The duo was remanded to judicial custody after their bail plea was rejected.Police have also detained four other persons for questioning in the case. Central Range DIG Ashish Kumar Singh said a criminal case of abduction, gang-rape of minor, assault and confining her in a room has been registered against the offenders. All the accused in the crime would be prosecuted and the chargesheet filed within 20 days.
Singh said the prosecution would try to get the case tried in a fast track court. If required, a special public prosecutor would be engaged to conduct the prosecution. Four senior police officers have been tasked to investigate the incident and a scientific team was examining the Government quarters where the crime took place. The statement of the victim would be recorded before the Judicial Magistrate and her medical examination was being conducted in the district headquarters hospital. Besides, the district social welfare officer is counselling the victim while her family members have been provided with all logistic support at Puri by the district administration, he said.
The DIG further said another criminal case has been registered under Section 420 of the IPC against Jitendra as he used his police identity card despite being dismissed from service. However, Singh did not reveal the identity of the four persons who have been detained for interrogation.
On Monday evening, the victim, who belongs to Nimapara, lodged a complaint against Jitendra and three unidentified persons with Kumbharpada police. She alleged that Jitendra offered her lift in his car and when she hesitated, he showed his police identity card. The accused and his accomplices then drove her to Puri and took her to a Government quarters where she was raped by all the four accused.
Basing on the complaint, Police arrested Jitendra and rounded up three other accused in the night.