BHUBANESWAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought action taken report from Mayurbhanj SP in two different cases related to sexual assault of two minor girls by cops of a police station in Mayurbhanj district.
While an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police lived with a 16-year-old girl after his wife’s death, a home guard sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl from Jharkhand by posing as a witch doctor.TOI had reported this story on October 18.
The Commission issued this direction on October 23 after hearing a petition filed by human rights activist and lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy on October 18. The rights panel said Mayurbhanj SP will look into the allegations and submit an action taken report within four weeks.
He alleged that the Mayurbhanj Police arrested the ASI and home guard on October 17 for allegedly raping two minor girls. Police sources said ASI Anand Majhi, 39, recently started living with a 16-year-old girl after his wife’s death some months ago. He was arrested after the girl’s family lodged a police complaint since she is a minor.
Home guard Debanand Patra, 35, who was a purported ‘witch doctor’, allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl, a native of West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand, on October 12 on the pretext of taking her help to cure one of her relatives who was suffering from prolonged fever.
Quoting the FIR, police said the girl’s family had brought the ailing woman to Patra on October 11 on the belief that he would cure her using ‘black magic’. Patra told the family that an unmarried girl had to perform some rituals in the evening and light the sacred lamps.
Following his advice, the family brought the teenage girl to Patra the next day. He allegedly took her to a secluded place and raped her. He threatened her not to disclose about the crime to anybody or she might die due to his ‘black magic’.
Police sources said they have been booked under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. Further investigation in both the cases are being carried out on priority, said a senior police officer.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
While an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police lived with a 16-year-old girl after his wife’s death, a home guard sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl from Jharkhand by posing as a witch doctor.TOI had reported this story on October 18.
The Commission issued this direction on October 23 after hearing a petition filed by human rights activist and lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy on October 18. The rights panel said Mayurbhanj SP will look into the allegations and submit an action taken report within four weeks.
He alleged that the Mayurbhanj Police arrested the ASI and home guard on October 17 for allegedly raping two minor girls. Police sources said ASI Anand Majhi, 39, recently started living with a 16-year-old girl after his wife’s death some months ago. He was arrested after the girl’s family lodged a police complaint since she is a minor.
Home guard Debanand Patra, 35, who was a purported ‘witch doctor’, allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl, a native of West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand, on October 12 on the pretext of taking her help to cure one of her relatives who was suffering from prolonged fever.
Quoting the FIR, police said the girl’s family had brought the ailing woman to Patra on October 11 on the belief that he would cure her using ‘black magic’. Patra told the family that an unmarried girl had to perform some rituals in the evening and light the sacred lamps.
Following his advice, the family brought the teenage girl to Patra the next day. He allegedly took her to a secluded place and raped her. He threatened her not to disclose about the crime to anybody or she might die due to his ‘black magic’.
Police sources said they have been booked under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. Further investigation in both the cases are being carried out on priority, said a senior police officer.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
