सोशल मीडिया पर एक वीडियो वायरल हुआ जिसमें एक युवक को नंगा कर के उल्टा लटका के छह युवकों द्वारा बेल्ट और डंडे से मारपीट करते हुए दिखाई दे रहा था। वीडियो बैतूल जिले का था, जिसमें पीड़ित आदिवासी और आरोपी साफ नजर आ रहे थे। विडियो वायरल होने के बाद पीड़ित फरियादी आदिवासी युवक और उसके भाई द्वारा 13 फरवरी 2024 को कोतवाली थाना बैतूल में शिकायत किये जाने के बाद आरोपियों की धरपकड़ और उनके निवास के अवैध अतिक्रमण को जेसीबी चला कर गिराया गया।

मामला रंगदारी वसूलने और दहशत बनाने के लिये मारपीट किये जाने का था। पीड़ित आदिवासी युवक ने बदनामी और डर के मारे घर में किसी को घटना की जानकारी नहीं दी, परंतु आरोपियों द्वारा वीडियो वायरल किये जाने के बाद से पीड़ित आदिवासी युवक ने घटना की जानकारी अपने भाई को दी। मामला सुर्खियों में आने के बाद से आदिवासी समाज संगठन और अन्य सामाजिक संगठनों ने मिल कर 16 फरवरी को बैतूल बंद का आव्हान किया। घटना पूरे प्रदेश में सुर्खियों में आने के बाद बैतूल जिले के 18 पुलिस अधिकारी कर्मचारियों के तबादले किये गये। पुलिस ने सारे आरोपियों को गिरफ्तार कर जेल भेज दिया है।

Jhardanga is a small village in Dasarathpur block of Jajpur district in Odisha. The population of the village is approximately 1000 out of which only 75 persons are Dalits. Even now,   the practice of caste discrimi-nation is prevalent in the village and the dalits are not allowed to enter into the temple. Mani Jena lives with his wife and his daughter in that village. His daughter Hema (name changed) is a child with partial abnormal mental condition. Mani Jena and his wife are also dull-witted mentally.

 On 8.1.2024 in the afternoon, Hema had gone to Pokharipadia near the village to watch the cricket game. At that time a 27 year old young man named Mithun Mahali of same village came to her and told her to come to the paddy field to collect broken paddy bunches. As she is a child and also with slightly dull mental condition, she did not suspect Mithun and went to the paddy field with him. Mithun raped her there. When she cried, her mouth was closed by Mithun with his hand. She had bleeding injury from her private part. After rape Mithun threatened her to murder if she discloses the incident to anyone and asked her to come back from the field after 20 minutes of his going away.

While coming back from the field, Hema met her cousin sister on the way. As she was very frightened, her sister asked her repeatedly what has happened and finally she narrated the incident to her. Both of them went to their sister-in –law (Bhauja) and described the incident. Hema’s dress was tinged with blood. As the parents of Hema are not mentally very sound, the matter was discussed with her uncle, Rabindra Jena when he came back from work at night. On the next day on 09.01.2024 morning Rabindra Jena, Rashmita Jena, Jayanthi Jena, and Hema Jena went to the Jajpur police station and lodged complaint.

Basing on the complaint, FIR no 10 was registered under Sections 376(3), 506 IPC with 6 POCSO Act and 3(1)(r)(s)(va) of SC ST PoA Act. The statement of the victim was recorded by Police, medical examination was conducted and the blood stained dresses were seized. The accused was apprehended and forwarded to judicial custody.

A media report carried the horrible news of rape of a 4 year old girl. It was tracked, the reporter was contacted and fact finding of the case was conducted and it revealed as under.Charapada is a village under Nikirai police station in Kedrapara district Odisha; nearly 30 families belonging to Scheduled Caste community dwell in this village. One of the SC families is Khetrabasi. Khetrabasi is a migrant worker and stays at his work place at Pune while his wife Pravati, mother, 4 year old daughter Sarita (named changed) and 8 year old son Manoj live in their house at Charapada. Khetrabasi was out of house since 4/5 months.

On 08.02.2024 at about 3 pm Pravati was taking her lunch inside her house while her daughter Sarita (named changed) was playing in her veranda. She was not very watchful about Sarita. But suddenly her daughter came to her crying. When Pravati asked her why she was crying, she narrated how she was taken to a secluded place by her uncle, namely Papuni and there he caused penetrative sexual assault on her causing bleeding injury.

 On hearing that, Pravati checked the private part of her daughter and found the bleeding injury. She took the kid to the house of the accused (Papuni); there Sarita got hold of the hand of Papuni and asked him why he did this? Papuni had no answer to that.

The kid was continuing to bleed. She was taken to the health centre. Allegedly, the lady doctor in the health centre was rude and delayed the treatment. The matter was reported to Nikire police and FIR no 43 was registered on 9.2.24 under Sections 376AB IPC with 4 of POCSO Act. The accused is arrested and forwarded to jail custody.

Akarapada is a revenue village under Jajpur police station. Some Scheduled caste people live in that village with other communities. Sony Mallik, daughter of Harihara Mallik is a 10 year old girl belonging to Scheduled Caste community. On 27.11.2022, Sony went to the betel shop near their house to fetch some commodities. It was around 12.30 during the day and the place was lonely at that time. The shopkeeper, Shambhunath Mahalik taking advantage of the deserted situation took Sony to the back of his shop and assaulted her with aggravated penetrative sexual assault. Due to delay in return of the child, her elder sister, Sumi (name changed) went to the shop to look for her; as she reached the shop, the accused left the little girl. Sumi asked what he was doing; Sambhunath slapped her. Both the sisters returned home and narrated all these incidents. The father and mother of the child went as soon as possible and reported the matter in Jajpur police station. The complaint was registered as Jajpur PS case no 432 dated 27.11.2022 under Sections 376(A), 376(B), 323 IPC, 3(2)(v) SC & ST PoA Act with 4(2), 6 POCSO Act. Some local residents said, with the condition of not revealing their names, that the incident is true because the shopkeeper is constantly engaged in such activities; he should be punished.