As per a police complaint filed by the woman, her husband had gone to Andhra Pradesh on January 16 for some urgent work during which the OSAP Jawan of the same village forcibly entered into the house and raped her.
She further alleged that the Jawan, identified as Ishwar Mali, threatened her of life if she discloses the matter to anyone.
She stated, "I was sleeping with my child, when the Jawan knocked the door at around 10.30 pm on January 16. I asked him to come in the morning if he has any work. But he barged into my house and raped me."
Later the woman brought the matter before her husband and family members and filed a written complaint at the Rayagada police station on January 20. However, the accused, who works at R.Udayagiri police station, is yet to be arrested.
Informing this to the media persons at the district headquarters here, Dhenkanal SP Basant Kumar Panigrahi said on the basis of the complaint lodged by the opposite party for ransacking their properties, Sadar Police has registered case against 34 persons of the village.
Rout succumbed to bullet injuries in Dhenkanal district headquarters hospital after he was shot at during a pre-poll violence in Tarabha village on Friday. His death triggered tension after irate locals blocked the main road in Dhenkanal town keeping the body of Rout on the road. On the next day of the incident, police arrested Byomokesh Biswal, a jawan of Odisha State Armed Police (OSAP).
Meanwhile, the BJP on Monday urged the State Election Commission (SEC) to take necessary step to ensure free and fair election. It also demanded deployment central para-military forces in Tarabha village, if necessary. Besides, the saffron party also demanded a Crime Branch probe into the murder of Salman Rout.
Talking to the media later in the day in the capital city, SEC secretary Rabindranath Sahu said the Commission is aware of all poll related violence and has taken all possible measures in this regard in consultation with the district collector and SP.
“If any such incidents take place in future, the Commission will take steps accordingly on the basis of the recommendation of the collector and SP. If necessary, efforts would be taken to resolve the issue with the help of the top police officials, Sahu added.
Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: In yet another significant action taken by the Odisha government in a day today in connection with the Sunki ghat landmine blast, a financial aid of Rs 10 lakh was announced on Sunday for the five Odisha State Armed Police (OSAP) staff who got injured in the explosion on February 1.
Talking to OTV over phone, Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Satyajit Mohanty stated the Rs 10 lakh financial assistance will be provided to the five injured cops from the Odisha Police Relief & Welfare Fund.
At present, the injured OSAP personnel are undergoing treatment at a Vishakhapatnam hospital.
Barely few hours prior to the Rs 10 lakh aid announcement, the Home department’s Special Secretary Lalit Das had told newsmen OSAP Assistant Commandant Gopabandhu Tripathy has been put under suspension for dereliction of duty in connection with the Sunki landmine blast.
Also read: Sunki ghat blast: OSAP Asst Commandant suspended
Notably, on Wednesday, eight police staff lost their lives in the landmine blast near Mungarbhumi on Sunki Ghat, barely one km from Andhra Pradesh border, in Koraput district when 13 OSAP personnel, mostly police drivers, were on their way to Angul in a police vehicle for official training. While six cops died on the spot, two others succumbed to their injuries later.
The explosion was so powerful that a portion of the ghat road was almost uprooted and the police vehicle was thrown off.
Talking to newsmen, the Home department’s Special Secretary Lalit Das stated Tripathy has been put under suspension for dereliction of duty in connection with the Sunki landmine blast.
Notably, the blast took place near Mungarbhumi on Sunki Ghat, barely one km from Andhra Pradesh border, on Wednesday when 13 OSAP personnel, mostly police drivers, were on their way to Angul in a police vehicle for official training.
The explosion was so powerful that the hilly road was almost uprooted and the police vehicle was thrown off. While six cops died on the spot, two others succumbed to their injuries later.
Other critically injured policemen due to the landmine blast are undergoing treatment at a Vishakhapatnam hospital.
A three-member forensic team would assist the CB team in the investigation. The instigating officials would investigate on various grounds of the incident like how and under what circumstance the explosion took place and what kind of explosives were used.
On the other hand, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) sought a report on the incident from the Home Department Principal Secretary and the DGP. The OHRC asked them to submit a report on whether the standard operation procedure was followed that day within two weeks.
Notably, the explosion took place near Mungarbhumi on Sunki Ghat, barely one km from Andhra Pradesh border in the Maoist-affected Koraput district. The incident took place when 13 OSAP personnel, mostly police drivers, were on their way to Cuttack in a truck for training.
Informing this to the media today, Crime Branch Special DG BK Sharma said the team, led by a DSP, would leave for Koraput tomorrow with a forensic expert team for an on-the-spot probe.
“The team would probe into various aspects including the manner and circumstances of the blast and the explosives used for detonation,” he added.
Sharma further said that the team, apart from its probe, would also collect information from the eyewitnesses and those who had escaped the blast.
The explosion took place near Mungarbhumi on Sunki Ghat, barely one km from Andhra Pradesh border in the Maoist-affected Koraput district.
The incident took place when 13 OSAP personnel, mostly police drivers, were on their way to Cuttack in a truck for training. The seriously injured personnel were rushed to the district headquarters hospital in Koraput and another hospital in Visakhapatanam.
Meanwhile, State Havildar and Constable Association president Prashant Mohapatra blamed senior police officials for the incident alleging that the standard operation procedure during movement of security personnel in sensitive areas are not followed properly for which the Maoists succeeded in carrying out the landmine blast. Like senior police officials, the OSAP Jawans should be allowed to move in private vehicles in sensitive areas.
On the other hand, DIG (South Western range) S Saini said human rights activists should raise their voice against killing of innocent police personnel by Maoists.
Das told newsmen, “The standing order for the department is to follow the SOPs. But whether officers in the area have followed the SOPs or not will be ascertained only after the inquiry.”
He added, “The IG operations and Intelligence director have met the injured OSAP personnel at the Vishakhapatnam hospital where they are undergoing treatment. They will also visit the spot in Koraput and submit a report after undertaking an inquiry.”
Asked about whether anyone has claimed responsibility for the landmine blast, Das replied, “We don’t have any information regarding this.”
Also read: Sunki landmine blast: Death toll mounts 8
Meanwhile, a crucial meeting was held today at the Koraput police headquarters in which the Intelligence director, IG Operations, SOG Commandant, DIG and SP were present.
Earlier in the day, moral remains of the eight martyrs kept in coffins wrapped in the national flag were given a guard of honour by the State police at the Koraput parade ground.
Notably, the eight police personnel died and five were injured in the landmine blast yesterday afternoon in Sunki ghat while 13 assistant drivers and driver havildar were travelling in a police vehicle towards Angul to attend a training programme.
According to sources, Body of OSAP official Tulasiram Majhi, who had gone missing after the blast, was found today.
The other deceased have been identified as Habildar Arun Kumar Nayak, Ganesh Prasad Saha, Somanath Sisa, Sanjay Kumar Dash, Subarna Kumar Raj and Pradipta Kumar Rout.
The police had recovered four bodies from the site of blast yesterday and three others died in the hospital later.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has termed the incident a "cowardly act".
The explosion took place near Mungarbhumi on Sunki ghat, barely one km from Andhra Pradesh border, in the Maoist- affected Koraput district, the officer said.
Altogether 13 personnel, mostly police drivers, were on their way to Cuttack in a truck for training when the landmine went off, said Koraput DIG S Saini.
The seriously injured personnel were taken to hospitals in Koraput in Odisha and Visakhapatanam in Andhra Pradesh.
The blast was suspected to have been triggered by the red rebels operating in Andhra-Odisha border areas, police said.
"Our men are facing problem in the rescue operation due to darkness," ASP (Koraput) V R Rao said.
Hota told media persons, “A proper investigation should be conducted andthe accused should get the punishment. Why should the whole police system be defamed? Why is the media not naming other IAS, IPS officers?”
Hota alleged that Marik used to force him to undertake illegal activities. In 2014, the retired deputy commandant had written a book ‘DG Marik Mama’ listing several allegations against the former DGP. He had even requested the Chief Minister and the Governor to examine the charges and conduct an independent inquiry, he revealed.
Marik hit back saying Hota should provide certain evidence while making the allegation. Otherwise, he would sue him in a court like Anadi Sahu. .
Earlier, Anadi Sahu had alleged that Marik had taken Rs 7 crore from the Dhalasamant brothers, who are in jail for alleged involvement in murders and tender fixing.Marik had received the amount through his steno Rabindra Sethi, Sahu had claimed.
Talking about Marik’s illegal money transactions, the former IG had said the former DGP had entrusted his illegal activity to him and Ram Narayan Agarwal, who owns a crusher unit at Dadhimachhagadia near Khurda.
As per reports, the jawan, identified as Amir Sahu hailed from Gaisilat in Bargarh. He fired three rounds from his INSAS rifle while pointing the gun towards his neck resulting in his death on the roof of the barrack of Kisinda police station.
While the reason behind the jawan's extreme step is yet to be ascertained, police have begun a probe into the incident and sent the body for post mortem.
A few days back, on June 4, a jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had died after being rescued in critical condition with a bullet injury on his head inside Jujumara camp in Sambalpur. The deceased was identified as Buta Singh.
In a similar incident, on March 27, a Border Security Force(BSF) jawan, deployed on Odisha-West Bengal border allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with a gun. The deceased was identified as Sagar Goud of Jhiliki village under Mohana block of Gajapati district.
As per reports, Krushna Chandra Mallick, a sepoy of 2nd battalion Odisha Special Armed Police (OSAP) deployed at Kalta outpost in Rourkela had a brain stroke on 3rd October. He has been since under treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar where his condition is stated to be serious.
Gangadhar Mallick, Krushna’s father alleged that his son was on duty when he had a brain stroke. He further accused that instead of taking Krushna to the hospital, his colleagues and seniors on duty shrewdly took his signatures on a leave application just to show that he was off duty.
Krushna is the sole bread earner in their family of seven. However, no financial help has been extended for his treatment by OSAP authorities or the government, informed sources.
His old father, Gangadhar is shuttling between Keonjhar, his home town and Bhubaneswar with a hope that some organisation or at least the government would come forward to help his ailing son.
An inconsolable Gangadhar pleaded the state government saying, “Please take my organs and if possible sell me in the market, but save my boy instead.”
A social activist Durga Prasad Das said, “No colleague of Krushna paid him a visit at the hospital. Forget about any financial assistance, his seniors even conspired to project him as ‘off duty’ by making him sign a Casual Leave application while he was unconscious.”
When asked about the matter, SDPO of Bonai, Abakash Routray said, “He had availed a leave and was off duty on 3rd October. I don’t have further information about his illness.”
“When an on-duty serviceman is admitted to hospital, generally his department provides some financial assistance on humanitarian grounds. Whoever has put a leave application in his pocket should be punished accordingly,” said Santosh Panda, a lawyer.