Yet another shocking incident of sexual assault has surfaced from the capital city Bhubaneswar. This time the crime has happened at ‘Nataala’, the nine-storey building of the Heads of Departments adjacent to the Secretariat.
As per reports, two employees of the Heads of Departments office allegedly raped a young woman from Sambalpur on the pretext of providing her a job. On the basis of the woman’s allegations, the health directorate handed over the case to police for investigation.
Reports suggest that police reached the spot and picked up a senior clerk of the health department and a driver who were allegedly in an inebriated condition. However, later both of them were released.
Questions were raised on how the accused were released without a detailed probe. Police, on the other hand, said no complaint has been lodged by the woman in this regard.
As per preliminary reports, the two accused had called the woman from Sambalpur with a promise to get her a job in Nataala. Desperate for a job, the woman reached Nataala the very next day. She was taken to a room where she was sexually abused by the employees in a drunken state. The woman tried to resist their advances but she was allegedly threatened of dire consequences. The only security guard present in the building also did not come to her rescue, she alleged.
The next morning, taking advantage of their sub-conscious state, the woman managed to flee their shackles and informed other staff present in the building. The department head was notified immediately who then apprised Capital Police to take over the investigation.
As no written complaint was lodged by the woman, the detainees were released later. However, a departmental action was initiated against both of them. The department has placed the accused clerk under suspension.
Recently, an incident of theft was reported from Nataala, and now this, an alleged sexual assault case. In the wake of the rising number of crimes, authorities of the health department said they will soon write to Commissionerate Police to heighten the security at Nataala building.