Puri: While gang rape of a minor girl inside a government quarter in Puri has put the Odisha Police to shame, criminal antecedents of the dismissed constable and prime accused Jitendra Kumar Sethi has now come to light with a shocking revelation by his second wife Anjali to the media on Thursday.
“Jitendra was running a sex racket in the police quarter in Puri which was allotted to his first wife who is now posted as a constable at Brahmagiri police station. She had also assisted Jitendra in the running this racket. His first wife should be immediately placed under suspension and stern action taken against her. Besides, the rape accused should be hanged in public for his heinous act,” said Anjali, who is now staying at her paternal house.
As informed by Puri SP Umashankar Dash, Sethi was dismissed from the service after he had nine black marks in his service book. Besides a rape case, he is accused of marrying the second time without dissolution of the first and attempting to kill his second wife.
During his posting at Maluda outpost under Krushnaprasad block in Puri district in 2011, Sethi had abducted Anjali Das, daughter of Bansidhar Das of Dianbuda village while she was on the way to his uncle’s house at Satapada. Later, he took her to Nilamadhab temple at Kantilo and married her. When Anjali later came to know that Sethi was already married, she had an altercation with him.
In an attempt to kill her, Sethi had set Anjali on fire. She survived despite 90 per cent burn injury, and later gave birth to a baby boy.
Seeking justice, Anjali had knocked on the doors of the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC), State Commission for Women (SCW), Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell.
Later she moved the court on December 18, 2013, and prayed its urgent intervention by directing her husband to provide monthly maintenance of Rs 3500 for her and her son. The court on June 29, 2018, had directed Sethi to provide the said amount to his wife with effect from December 18, 2013. But he is yet to provide any maintenance money to her till date.
Some locals of Puri have told the media that despite being dismissed from service, Jitendra managed to indulge in immoral acts because of his close proximity to some senior police officers.