ROURKELA: As Rourkela is yet to recover from the shocking spate of sexual assaults, police on Friday sealed the bar and restaurant where minors, including the 17-year-old gangrape victim, were allegedly served alcohol.
Probe indicates that the victim may have been made to drink alcohol at Hooddang bar and restaurant where she dined with her four friends on September 22 evening. After she left the place, she was allegedly kidnapped twice and gangraped as many times within a span of next three and half hours.
The victim’s father, in the complaint, had mentioned about alcohol being served in the bar. The 17-year-old herself too corroborated the fact in her statement, police sources said.
DIG Brijesh Rai who is officiating as Rourkela SP said police has already identified the five culprits. So far, seven suspects have been detained in connection with the incident and efforts are on to nab the culprits soon, he said.
Rai said police have analysed CCTV footage of the pub and police teams have visited the crime scenes several times and are gathering more information from the local areas.
Two of the seven detained by police are believed to be perpetrators but the police refused to confirm the same.
On the day, the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) took suo motu cognisance of the matter and directed the SP and district child protection officer to conduct an inquiry and submit report within seven days.
Meanwhile, in connection with the gangrape of two minor girls near Birsa Chowk on September 21, Plant Site police produced the three accused before the POCSO court on Wednesday. They have been remanded in judicial custody. Two of them are from nearby Gandhi Road area, while the third belongs to Gopabandhupali. They are all in the age group of 22-25 years.
Deputy SP of Zone III Nirmal Mohapatra informed that requisition has been given for test identification (TI) parade of the accused. Call detail records (CDRs) of the arrested persons are being collected.
Child welfare committee (CWC) member Balmukund Shukla said the two victims were produced before the CWC and now under care at the One Stop Point - Sakhi of the Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH). The girls have been given necessary treatment and counselling.
DIG Rai reiterated that steps are being taken to submit the chargesheet at the quickest possible time for expeditious trial and speedy justice to the victims.
