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The victim Anupama Sethi is a Social activist. She is active to fight corruption, stop liqueur etc. She had intervened in a developmental work of her village. Funds were sanctioned for construction of cement concrete road. One contractor who claims to be worker of the ruling party was planning to execute the project. But with Anupama,s intervention the road was constructed by other group leaving aside the said contractor.
For this the accused went to Anupama’s house on 25.04.2017, abused her with filthy language with her caste name and sexual in nature, and threatened her with dire consequences. She filed written complaint in Kujanga Police Station which was registered on 28.04.2017 as F.I.R. No. 67. In her complaint Pratima Sethi, W/o Prasanta Sethi was the witness who deposed before Police.
On 25.04.2017 night the accused had altercation with Prasanta Sethi. Again on 27.04.2017 late night the accused entered into house of Prasanta by breaking open the door. He abused verbally and sexually assaulted Pratima. He also threatened to murder Prasanta. This was reported in the Police Station on 28.04.2017 but the police was hesitant in registering F.I.R. Finally FIR No. 68 was registered on 30.04.2017.
The attack on Pratima Sethi is said to be due to her relationship with Anupama Sethi and her statement before Police regarding the incident of attack on Anupama on 25th April.
Jitarani Behera, aged about 25 years is a student continuing B.Ed. course under an institution at Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. She passed B.A. from B.S. College, Chandikhol in 2012. In 2015 she consulted Sri Dusmanta Nayak, a clerical staff of B.S. College and was motivated to join B.Ed. Debendra Mishra, Lecturer in the College took Rs.40000/- Cash in July 2015 and later Rs.40000/- was deposited in an Axis Bank Account by the victim in two instalments. After that Debendra Mishra demanded Rs. 50000/- more at the time of “Form Fill up” for examination. The victim requested to reduce the course fees and to give her some concession. The accused told her to go to the institution at Srikakulam and meet the authorities for relaxation in fees. He informed that there is hostel facility for such student where she would stay.
On 21/11/2015 Debendra Mishra and the victim proceeded to Srikakulam. There was no hostel facility. She was kept in a lodge and the accused went away. At about 10PM he came back and said no other accommodation was available for him. Although the victim did not agree, he stayed in the same room with the victim that night. During that night the accused sexually assaulted the victim and tried to rape her. The victim protested strongly and ran out of the room and spent the rest of the night in the waiting hall. She was carrying Rs. 20000/- with her for the fees which was taken by the accused. Next day she came back Odisha, but did not lodge any Police Complaint out of fear.
The protest by the victim frightened the accused slightly but soon he became more aggressive as the victim did not make any Police complaint then. He made sexual approaches at various times which the victim ignored. He also telephoned and threatened to go to Cuttack and stay with him at night, also to pay him another Rs. 30000/- otherwise, he would see that she failed in B. Ed. Examination or her certificate would not be returned.
On 13.1.2017 at about 7:45PM the accused called the victim over phone to come to Kundala Chhak (A small market place near the victim’s village) to take back the certificates. When she reached the chhak the accused told her to come with him to Cuttack for the certificates. She denied going to Cuttack which is nearly 55Kms away. The accused tried to drag her into the vehicle. As she continued to protest, she was slapped and pushed out to the vehicle and she fell down. By them other people present in the chhak rushed to the spot, caught hold of the accused and handed over to the Police.
The victim lodged a written complaint to Badachana Police Station which was registered as F.I.R. No. 156 date 14.10.2016. The accused was arrested. He was granted bail by Odisha High Court on 2.12 2016.
At present the victim complains that there is no progress in the case. Her B.Ed and other certificates have not been recovered and relief amount under the SC & ST PoA Act has not been paid to her. With this back ground, it was decided to undertake a detailed fact finding of the matter.
In the occurrence date the victim was sitting on the pile of bricks nearby her house. The accused Golak Mishra came to her and gave a ten rupees note and said if you will be here in the evening I will give you fifty rupees. She was roaming around in the evening when the accused came and dragged her towards a dark place. Her undergarment was forcibly removed and she was subjected to aggravated sexual assault by the accused. The cousin brother of the victim Soumya Ranjam Mallik was going to the Market with his bike to bring some vegetables. He could spot the victim and the accused in the bike’s head light.
He went there and asked who is there. When he didn’t get any response from them he rushed to them and saw the accused was there. He asked the accused (Golia) what you are doing here. The accused said I was doing call of nature. When Soumya Ranjan Mallik said you are doing call of nature but what the child (the victim) doing here. Then not saying anything to the accused he asked the victim child. The victim child said the accused said remove your pant by giving ten rupees. Soumya also saw the victim child in nude condition and ten rupees in her hand. She showed ten rupees to Soumya Ranjan Mallik. He caught both of them and called the father and mother of the victim child. The father and uncle of the victim ran to the spot; then there was a tussle between the relatives of the victim and the
accused. The accused managed to ran away from the spot.