BHUBANESWAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday took suo motu cognizance of the gang-rape of a 20-year-old college student in Gopalpur on June 15, and directed chief secretary Manoj Ahuja and DGP YB Khurania to submit a detailed report within two weeks.
Issuing notices to the chief secretary and DGP, the rights panel specified their reports should include the status of investigation in the case, the victim’s health condition, and if any compensation/ counselling was provided to her.
The student was raped by around 10 youths, including four minors, at Gopalpur sea beach where she had been along with a male friend. The accused overpowered her friend and sexually assaulted her. The incident has raised a serious issue of violation of human rights, the NHRC noted.
Last week, the National Commission for Women (NCW) asked DGP to conduct a swift and time-bound investigation into the incident. The NCW chairperson Vijaya K Rahatkar also asked the DGP to ensure that compensation was paid to the rape survivor under section 396 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
CAW&CW has collected digital and DNA evidence in the case
Briefing the mediapersons on the day, Crime Branch DG Vinaytosh Mishra said on the direction of the DGP, Crime Against Women and Children Wing (CAW&CW) immediately took up the investigation of the case. “The local police had arrested the six youths and detained the four juveniles. Our priority is to make the investigation watertight and ensure the culprits are punished as per the law,” he said.
The CAW&CW has collected digital and DNA evidence and seized CCTV footage of the 10 youths in the area before and after committing the crime. “Their mobile phones have been confiscated which also contain vital evidence. We have requested the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) to extract the digital data and submit the reports at the earliest so that the charge sheet is filed without any delay,” said Mishra.
