Bhubaneswar: Why would I falsely accuse an officer if I wouldn't have faced the trauma?, questioned a woman standing at the doorsteps of Odisha CM’s residence today. Alleging rape by the Assistant Sub-Inspector of Kaptipada Police Station in Mayurbhanj, the woman sought justice from CM Naveen Patnaik.
The accused cop however termed the sexual assault charges as baseless claiming that he is being targeted and harassed.
As per the allegations of the woman, the ASI Subhendu Behera had gone to their house on May 12 to arrest her family members after falsely implicating them in a case.
“He then raped me,” said the woman alleging that her desperate complaints in this regard have fallen on deaf ears. She said all this happened when her husband and brother-in-law were in jail. "He barged into my house and raped me. I cried for help and raised an alarm following which my sister-in-law who was in the other room rushed inside. The ASI also thrashed her but sustained an injury while fleeing the spot after his head hit the door grill," the woman alleged.
"What can we do if the cops turn predators?" questioned the woman's husband.
However, refuting the charges, the ASI said the woman's family is intentionally trying to defame him, ever since they were released from jail.
According to the ASI, the woman's husband is a part of stone mafia, which is why a team of police along with local Tehsildar had gone to their house to arrest him and his brother. But the officials were attacked by the duo and a written complaint was also lodged by the Tehsildar in this connection. Behera said that the Tehsildar himself had lodged a complaint stating that the woman's family attacked the cops at their house on May 12. Subsequently, the duo was arrested but released on bail recently.
"The allegations are completely baseless. Just because they were arrested in connection with a case, they intentionally want me to suffer and are levelling rape charges against me,” the accused officer said.
Even the IIC of Kaptipada police station said that no complaint has been filed by the woman so far. "The brothers were arrested and court-forwarded based on a case registered against them earlier. Our cops were assaulted at their house. However, we haven't received any written complaint of rape."
What actually transpired at the woman's house on that fateful day can be found only after a detailed investigation takes place.