Poonam Singh

A day after the CBI carried out raids at 3 locations in Odisha On Tuesday as a part of a coordinated nation-wide search in connection with an alleged racket involved in the cyber sexual abuse of children and circulation of abusive material on social media, the Odisha State Commission For Protection Of Child Rights (OSCPCR ) on Wednesday said steps will be taken to stop child pornography in the State.

OSCPCR chairperson Sandhyabati Pradhan said that the Commission will seek a report from CBI and the Odisha Crime Branch regarding the findings in the investigation.

Pradhan said that the Commission is working towards stopping child pornography. “Stringent action will be taken against those who are sharing and circulating abuse material on the internet,” added Pradhan.

She also informed that the Commission will hold an awareness drive from November 20 to December 10 to sensitize people about child pornography.

As part of the nation-wide probe, the Central agency had carried out raids at Dhenkanal, Bhadrak and Jajpur yesterday.  

The investigating agency had conducted simultaneous raids at different locations in 13 other states also. The CBI has registered 23 separate cases against 83 people on charges of online child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Notably, a CBI team came under attack by a mob in Dhenkanal when they had gone to a suspect’s house in connection with the probe.

As per reports, the CBI team that reached the house of one Surendra Nayak at Colony Sahi in Dhenkanal was attacked by an angry mob of locals. It is alleged that the locals got angry after the interrogation continued till afternoon.

Several women brandishing wooden planks gheraoed the CBI officials and beat them up. The mob allegedly dragged the CBI officials out of Nayak’s house before assaulting them. The officers were subsequently rescued by the Town Police station staff.

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