Congress attacks Odisha govt over rising crime against women; state second-worst in molestation cases

BHUBANESWAR: The Congress on Thursday expressed concern over the increasing number of crime against women in Odisha and said it was a ‘matter of shame’ that the State is second in the country in molestation cases.

Referring to the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) during the Zero Hour in the Assembly, leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingh Mishra said that crime against women has increased in Odisha and if the State’s population is to be considered, it actually tops the list in molestation cases. At least 20,274 cases of crime against women were registered in Odisha in 2018, and the number increased to 23,183 in 2019, he said.

Odisha recorded 11,318 molestation cases (section 354 of IPC) in 2019, Mishra said and added that this included 2,818 women, who were assaulted with the intent to disrobe (section 354B of IPC, which is the highest in the country). 

Quoting the NCRB report, Mishra said  Odisha stands eighth in the country with 1,383 rape cases, all the victims were above 18 years. Besides, the State registered 1,505 child rape cases in 2019, the seventh highest in India, the Congress leader pointed out.

Alleging that a woman was misbehaved at a Covid-19 facility in Balangir district, the CLP leader demanded a probe into the incident. Mishra also said he had drawn the attention of the DGP to the Balangir case, but no action has been taken. A woman had recently alleged that an AYUSH doctor had misbehaved with her at a Covid-19 facility in Balangir. Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro asked the Health and Family Welfare minister to inquire into the matter.  

Mishra further alleged that cyber crimes have increased drastically in Odisha. The number of such crimes rose from 843 in 2018 to 1485 in 2019, an increase of nearly 76 per cent, he said.