Bhubaneswar: Taking a serious note of the recent gangrape on Gopalpur beach in Odisha, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has deputed a five-member factfinding team to probe the horrific incident and also examine cases of atrocities against women in Odisha.
The team, headed by senior party leader from West Bengal Deepa Dasmunshi, will visit Odisha and submit a comprehensive report to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
While Deepa has been maned the convenor of the team, Members of Parliament (MPs) Ranjeet Ranjan, Praniti Shinde and S. Jothimani, and woman leader Shobha Oza are the members of the fact-finding committee.
“In light of the horrific rape incident reported from Gopalpur, increasing cases of atrocities against women and the disturbing number of women reported missing, the Congress president has deputed a factfinding team to visit Odisha and submit a comprehensive report on the situation,” said a press release issued by the AICC on Thursday.
It may be noted that a 20-year-old college student was gangraped by miscreants in front of her male friend on Gopalpur beach in Ganjam district on the night of June 15.
The incident took place when the college girl along with her male friend visited the beach during the Raja festival.
The police have arrested at least ten persons, including four minors, in connection with the case.
This move by the Congress comes amid widespread outrage over the safety of women in Odisha, with rights activists and political groups demanding immediate justice and preventive action. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also reportedly intervened, urging the Director General of Police (DGP) to take strict action against the perpetrators.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also lashed out at the BJP government in Odisha over the incident and claimed that violence against women in the state has been increasing alarmingly.
