NCW seeks swift action in Odisha gang-rape case

New Delhi/Gopalpur: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of the alleged gang-rape of a 20-year-old student at Odisha’s Gopalpur beach, calling the incident “shocking” and demanding urgent intervention from state authorities.

In a statement issued Tuesday, NCW Chairperson Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar wrote to the Odisha Director General of Police, directing the immediate arrest of all the remaining accused.

The woman, an undergraduate student at a private college, had gone to the state’s famed Gopalpur beach with her classmate on the occasion of Raja festival Sunday night, when the crime happened.

Police have apprehended 10 people, including four minors, Tuesday in connection with the crime. The accused were nabbed while they were trying to flee to another state, according to police.

The NCW chairperson called for a swift and time-bound investigation in the case, and the provision of comprehensive support to the survivor.

“The victim must be given free medical and psychological support,” the commission said, adding that compensation should be ensured under Section 396 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which mandates compensation for victims of crime.

The NCW has also sought an Action Taken Report from the state police within three days.

PTI

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