Sacked cop arrested for minor’s gang rape in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Ananda Majhi, former inspector in-charge (IIC) of Biramitrapur police station in Sundargarh district, was arrested on Wednesday for the alleged gang rape of a minor inside the police station. He was allegedly hiding in a mango orchard in Angul district when he was arrested.
His arrest comes hours after director general of police (DGP) Abhay dismissed Majhi from service and tendered an apology to the 13-year-old rape survivor for the former IIC’s heinous act.
“I am glad that the Crime Branch took swift action and arrested the dismissed IIC, whose shameful conduct has caused us embarrassment. Our apologies to the rape survivor,” Abhay said. On Friday, Majhi was placed under suspension following public outcry. Additional director general of police (Crime Branch) Soumendra Priyadarshi said, “Majhi was the main accused in the case. We will bring him on remand for questioning. The other accused involved in the case will be arrested soon.”
Six persons, including Majhi, were accused of raping the tribal girl inside the police station for several weeks and forcing her to go for an abortion. A government doctor had allegedly conducted the abortion, and is also one of the those booked.
The Crime Branch said it was a tough task to arrest the former IIC. “Majhi was on the run after a gang rape case was registered against him and five other persons on June 22. He used his police brain to evade arrest, but was outwitted. He was traced to a mango forest in the Handapa police area of Angul,” a Crime Branch officer said.
The rape case came to the light when the child, who was seen crying outside the police station a few days ago, was rescued by a local NGO and handed over to the child welfare committee (CWC) in Sundargarh. The girl told the CWC that she had come to Biramitrapur to attend a local fair before the lockdown in March.
While she was waiting to catch an auto-rickshaw to return home, a patrolling van belonging to Biramitrapur police spotted her and took her to the police station where Majhi allegedly raped her. She alleged that the local police then dropped her in her village.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)