Bhubaneswar: An alleged sexual assault on a six-year-old girl by her maternal uncle in a slum here evoked a violent protest in the area Wednesday.
The district unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a protest by attributing the incident to callous attitude of the state government.
Members of the saffron party, led by Bhubaneswar district unit president Harekrushna Khuntia, burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and demonstrated near the party office at Laxmisagar.
They alleged that the state is witnessing a rising trend in criminal cases, especially rape. The state government has failed to address the issue. “Safety of women in the state can be well gauged from the fact that a six-year-old has been raped in the heart of Bhubaneswar in broad daylight,” said one of the protestor.
The administration is working hand in glove with the criminals and facilitating a safe haven for them, Khuntia added.
Meanwhile, Laxmisagar police registered a case (243/18) under Section 376 of the IPC and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act). “The accused has been taken in custody and will be produced in the Juvenile Justice Board in Khurda after being medically examined,” a Laxmisagar police official said.
According to the sources, the victim, a resident of Sabar Sahi slum under Laxmisagar police limits here, was alone at home when his maternal uncle, a teenager, sexually abused her. “The victim was admitted to the hospital at 2.30pm Tuesday. She had severe injuries in her private parts which hinted the possibility of sexual abuse,” said a Capital Hospital doctor, adding that they have referred her to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack where the girl is being treated. The victim is under observation at an ICU, SCB sources said.