Odisha: Man Posing As Gas Mechanic Attempts To Rape Woman At Varsity Quarters, Arrested
Balasore (Odisha), Jul 27 (PTI) A man has been arrested for allegedly attempting to rape the wife of an assistant professor of Fakir Mohan University in Odisha's Balasore district at his official quarters on the campus, police said on Sunday.
The incident took place on Saturday afternoon when the man, posing as an LPG cylinder mechanic, entered the assistant professor's quarters.
The accused rang the doorbell and the woman opened the door. He offered a routine check of the LPG cylinder in the kitchen. Once he entered the house, he allegedly locked the door and attempted to catch hold of the woman, her husband said in a complaint with Remuna police station.
However, the woman could manage to escape and locked herself in another room, called up her husband and screamed for help. The security personnel present at the colony gates rushed to the house and managed to overpower the accused. He was handed over to the police.
The accused has been identified as Shankar Patra, a resident of Nilgiri area in Balasore district.
The incident sparked tension on the Fakir Mohan University campus which houses official quarters and women's hostels.
BJD urges ST panel to form SIT to probe into ''sexual abuse'' of girls in Odisha govt-run hostels
The BJD on Saturday urged the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes to form a special investigation team (SIT) under judicial supervision to probe into the alleged sexual exploitation of girls in the Odisha government-run hostels in the state.
A delegation of the opposition party submitted a memorandum to the regional office of the commission in Nayapalli here.
The BJD’s move comes a day after two girls from separate state-run residential schools in Kandhamal district reported pregnancy.
“We recommend the formation of an SIT under judicial supervision to investigate and monitor judicial proceedings in all such cases. We also urged the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes to advise the state government to undertake systemic policy reforms, including a complete overhaul of the ST and SC Development Department's hostel monitoring framework," the BJD said in the memorandum.
The opposition party claimed that at least four girls in the state-run school hostels in Rayagada, Mayurbhanj and Kandhamal districts reported pregnancy.
“A series of deeply disturbing incidents, involving the sexual exploitation and pregnancy of tribal girls residing in hostels managed by the ST & SC Development Department in Odisha, have come to the fore. These are not only shocking but point towards systemic failure, gross administrative negligence in ensuring the safety, dignity, and well-being of tribal girls under the state care,” the BJD alleged.
The party demanded the establishment of functional grievance redressal cells and regular inspections to prevent such incidents.
The BJD also requested the NCST chairman to take urgent cognisance of these cases and intervene appropriately to safeguard the fundamental rights of these marginalised communities.
BJD leaders and workers also staged a demonstration in front of the office of the DIG south western range in Koraput, alleging that there was a rise in crimes against women in the region.
The demonstrators submitted a memorandum to the Odisha DGP through the DIG, listing the incidents of rape, gang rape and molestation of women and girls in the southern districts.
The hostels, meant to be safe places for girls, have "tragically become centres of abuse and trauma for minors, the party claimed in its memorandum.
It also alleged that the four incidents were "not isolated" ones but represent "a pattern of deep-rooted institutional failure and lack of monitoring mechanisms" in the facilities meant for school girls belonging to the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes categories.
Odisha currently reports approximately 15 rape incidents per day, and women and girls, particularly belonging to marginalised communities, now feel unsafe in Odisha, the BJD claimed.
“We believe that this is not just a matter of policy failure. It is a humanitarian crisis demanding urgent national attention and institutional response,” the party said, adding that the safety and dignity of tribal and Dalit girls must be non-negotiable.
These students look to the state administration for protection, and "we collectively bear the responsibility of upholding their rights and security", the opposition party said.
The BJD demanded an independent, high-level inquiry into "all reported and unreported cases of sexual abuse in hostels, identification of negligent officials, hostel superintendents, wardens, and law enforcement personnel who failed in their duty of care.
The party appealed to the administration to ensure implementation of stringent protection measures, including the installation of CCTV cameras, routine medical examinations, access to psychological counselling, and deployment of female security staff in all ST/SC hostels.
“A comprehensive support must be provided to hostel inmates, encompassing medical, legal, and psychological assistance, while strictly safeguarding their identity and dignity,” the BJD added.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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