Assault On Tribal Women: Victims Move Courts Against Odisha Cop

Malkangiri: Trouble mounted for Chitrakonda SDPO Anshuman Dwivedi, who has been accused of assaulting four tribal women during a raid in Odisha’s Malkangiri district last month, with the victims moving local courts here on Thursday, seeking action against the senior police officer.

The cases have been filed under Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act at the Court of District and Sessions Judge and under Sections 506, 323 and 354 of IPC at the SDJM Court, informed Malkangiri District Congress Committee President and advocate Govind Chandra Patra.

“A fact-finding team from the Pradesh Congress Committee have investigated the allegation,” he added.

Patra had also lodged a complaint in this regard with the Malkangiri SP on June 13.

On June 7 night, the SDPO allegedly assaulted four tribal women, including a pregnant lady, and children, in Chitrakonda area on suspicion that they were involved in ganja trafficking. The victims sustained injuries and had to be hospitalised.

Notably, Minister of State for Home, Tusharkanti Behera, on Wednesday, announced a Crime Branch probe into the incident following an uproar by the opposition BJP and Congress in the assembly on the alleged police brutality at RAC-13 village.