Bhubaneswar: Following the standard protocol, the Odisha Crime Branch has categorised the alleged gangrape of a 17-year-old girl in a rented accommodation at Saheed Nagar here as a ‘red flag’ to ensure proper supervision of the investigation.
The Crime Branch DGP will monitor the case to make it watertight, sources said on Sunday.
Any sensational crime against women involving rape and murder, among other heinous offences, comes under the ‘red flag’ category, aligning with a 2014 notification issued by the Odisha police. In such cases, the charge sheet has to be filed within 60 days of FIR registration with the CB ensuring that the probe is completed on time, paving the way for speedy trials and higher chances of conviction.
The Saheed Nagar Shocker
According to sources, the girl was lured to a rented house at Saheed Nagar with a promise of a data entry job and allegedly gangraped by two persons on December 18 afternoon. One of the accused, reportedly known to the victim, contacted her and invited her to the location for discussions related to the job. However, after she reached his house at around 2 pm, he and his accomplice who was also present at the spot, allegedly raped her. She, somehow, managed to escape from their clutches and lodged a complaint at Saheed Nagar police station, who registered a case under section 70(2) of BNS and Section 6 of POCSO Act.
“The girl was subjected to sexual assault without her consent by two persons in the rented accommodation in the city,” a police officer said.
A scientific team visited the spot and collected evidence as part of their investigation. Police teams were immediately formed and accused, identified as Akshay Rout (28), a resident of Keranga, and Sahil Khan (26), from Mukundprasad in Khurda district, were apprehended on Saturday.
The survivor is suspected to have come in contact with the accused, Akhaya Das, through social media.
This is the second such incident in Bhubaneswar in a span of 10 days.
The Dhauli Incident
Another 17-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped at Lingipur canal road near Dhalui Peace Pagoda on the outskirts of the city on the evening of December 10. So far, police have arrested three men, including prime accused Happy Bhoi, while two others are still at large.