Bhawanipatna: A local court in Kalahandi district sentenced six persons to life imprisonment after convicting them in 2019 gangrape of a woman in Ghana jungle near Banamalipur village under Junagarh police limits. Dharamgarh Additional District and Sessions Judge Suresh Chandra Pradhan passed the verdict after examining the statements recorded by the witnesses, police chargesheet and other relevant documents. Government advocate Purna Chandra Nag pleaded the matter on behalf of the state government.
The convicts were identified as Lalindra Sabar of Parla village, Labanya Chhatria, Aniruddha Chhatria, Prakash alias Luku Nayak, Shanta Nayak, and Amit Nayak of Buxi Tulsipali village. Three others arrested for making video of the crime viral on social media platforms were acquitted for want of sufficient evidence. According to reports, Lalindra Sabar, a bus conductor by profession from Parla village, offered the survivor lift from Bhawanipatna to her residence on his bike, September 14, 2019. However, he took her to the dense Ghana reserve forest near Banamalipur and raped her.
Later, five other youths, took turns to rape the woman, threatening her with knives. They also filmed the act and later circulated the video on social media platforms. The survivor’s family lodged a formal complaint at the Junagarh police station. Based on the report, Junagarh police registered a case (224/19) September 23, 2019 and launched an investigation. Later, police arrested the accused and produced them in court. The case drew significant attention across the district and hogged the headlines. The then chairperson of the State Women’s Commission, Minati Behera, intervened and visited the site for an independent investigation.
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Additionally, former Superintendent of Police B. Gangadhar expedited the investigation, ensuring the swift arrest of the accused. This incident serves as a grim reminder of the heinous crimes faced by women and the importance of prompt legal and administrative action to ensure justice.