Bhubaneswar: A petition was filed with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Sunday seeking justice for a middle-aged woman who was allegedly gang-raped by three men at Poipata village under Nikirai police limits in Kendrapara late Friday.
In his petition (7489/IN/2019), rights activist Himanshu Sekhar Nayak has urged the Commission to direct the Chief Secretary (CS) to ensure Rs 15 lakh compensation as well as free medical treatment to the rape survivor. Besides, Nayak also sought a directive to the CS to send the compensation disbursal proof to the apex rights body within four weeks.
The petitioner further sought for a directive to Kendrapara Superintendent-of-police (SP) to take stern action against the criminals and send the Action Taken Report to NHRC within four weeks.
Nayak has informed the Commission that the gruesome episode took place around 1.30am when the victim, along with her family, was asleep.
“The desperadoes knocked at the door on the pretext of asking for water, but the victim’s husband denied sensing foul play. The trio broke open the door and assaulted the victim’s husband with iron rods. Later, upon entering the bedroom they found the victim asleep and took turns to outrage her modesty. As if this wasn’t enough, they inflicted severe injuries to her private parts before assaulting two of her minor sons who were asleep nearby,” the petitioner informed the Commission referring to a police complaint lodged by the victim’s husband.
Nayak said the desperadoes later decamped with cash and gold ornaments from the victim’s place. The victim’s husband raised an alarm following which fellow villagers reached his place and rushed the couple to the district headquarters hospital (DHH). Later, after primary medication, the victim’s husband approached Nikirai police which registered a case under Sections 457 (house-trespass), 397 (robbery) and 376 (rape) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and began a probe.
Sources, meanwhile, claimed that the gruesome episode might be the fallout of a land dispute. “The victim’s husband had built a house after purchasing land from a fellow villager. Although the land owner sold the plot, later he wanted to chase the victim’s family away and take possession of the land again. So, he was terrorising the victim’s family using anti-socials,” said a source familiar with the victim’s family.