After kidnapping charge, girl’s family cries gangrape in Odisha

SAMBALPUR: An alleged kidnapping of a minor last week by Kuchinda police took turn on Monday after the family of the victim, alleged she was gangraped.

The family of the victim claimed that Kuchinda police had initially downplayed the severity of the crime by filing a kidnapping case instead of registering a rape complaint. Demanding a thorough investigation and stern action against the perpetrators, the family along with BJD members submitted a memorandum to the SP.

As per reports, the incident took place on October 15, when the 14-year-old girl was at a village festival and met one of the accused who was known to her. After spending some time at the festival, the accused asked her for a drive and took her to a car which was already occupied by four people. Though the minor hesitated, the occupants of the vehicle convinced her to come along and gave her a spiked soft drink.

The accused then took her to an isolated place and gangraped her. Later, the accused even threatened to kill her and harm her family if revealed the matter to anyone and dropped her at the village on the wee hours of October 16. The girl though in her initial statement denied any form of sexual assault, she went to the police station a few hours later and revealed the accused had raped her.

However, the family claimed police did not agree to turn it into a rape case and even convinced them to not get the victim medically examined. Later, after repeated appeals, the girl’s medical examination was conducted on October 18. In the meantime, police has arrested three accused on charge of kidnapping.