Bhubaneswar, May 8 The Chairperson of the Odisha State Commission for Women (OSCW), Sovana Mohanty, on Friday said the commission’s special team would conduct an impartial probe and ensure stringent punishment for those involved in the mob lynching of a Government Railway Police Constable over allegations of sexual assault on two girls in the Balianta area on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
The team, led by Mohanty, on Friday visited the crime spot near a bridge in Ramachandrapur village under Balianta police limits. The team also visited the residences of the girls and spoke to them to ascertain what had transpired between them, the deceased Constable Soumya Ranjan Swain, and his friend Om Prakash Rout.
“As per the instructions of Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi, the women's commission has come along with a special team. An impartial probe will be conducted and appropriate action will be taken against whoever is found guilty. As many as five people have already been arrested in the case and I will record the statements of the victim girls. The government has taken immediate steps in this regard in line with its zero-tolerance policy,” said Mohanty.
Meanwhile, the victim girl who filed an FIR against the deceased Soumya on Friday narrated before media persons what had transpired between them on Thursday.
“My friend and I were going to her aunt’s house at Gangeswar yesterday (Thursday). Two youths on a motorcycle were coming towards Bhubaneswar from the opposite direction. They first passed by us shouting loudly after seeing us and later returned and hit our scooter from behind,” she alleged.
The girl further claimed that following the collision, both of them fell off the scooter onto the road. She also alleged that one of the bike-borne youths struck her head against the road twice, pressed her throat, and tore away her scarf and clothes.
“He also told his friend to take me with him to their room. At that moment, my friend cried out for help. Hearing her screams, local people rushed to the spot and rescued us. I was saved due to the timely intervention of the local people and the police,” the victim girl added.
Director General of Police, Y.B. Khurania, also visited the crime scene and enquired about the incident.
Notably, Soumya, along with his friend Om Prakash, was travelling towards Bhubaneswar when they came across two girls riding a scooter near Ramachandrapur bridge under Balianta police limits. A collision between their motorcycle with the scooter of the girls, led to an argument.
Police said Soumya allegedly attempted to sexually assault one of the girls, following which local villagers, alerted by her screams, rushed to the spot and assaulted the duo. Police later rescued them and shifted them to hospital, where doctors declared Soumya dead.
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