Expressing grave concern over the growing cases of atrocity on women, Opposition Congress on Saturday stalled proceedings in the Assembly in the pre-lunch session, demanding a statement from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on a fresh dowry torture case involving Additional Director General of Police in State Human Rights Protection Cell Gopabandhu Mallick, and rape of a 16-year-old handicapped girl in Patkura, Kendrapada.
Due to the demonstration by Congress members in the well, the House could run only for 68 minutes during the pre-lunch sitting, including eight minutes in Zero Hour. The debate on admissibility of an adjournment motion relating to the hike in power tariff could not be taken up.
After the Question Hour, Congress member Santosh Singh Saluja drew the Speaker’s attention to the two fresh incidents of crime against women .He said it is a matter of serious concern that Ministers and senior police officials are allegedly involved in dowry torture cases.
Saluja pointed out that earlier law Minister Raghunath Mohanty had resigned from the Cabinet following an FIR lodged by his daughter-in law and is continuing to avoid arrest. Now, ADGP Mallick, who is the Director of Human Rights Protection and inquiring the dowry torture case against Minister Mohanty, is accused of torturing Santosini Mallick, wife of his brother-in-law for dowry. Santosini has filed an FIR at Baleswar Town police station that that her husband along with the ADGP and other family members were torturing her for dowry.
Saluja said the case filed against Mallick and five other members of his family at Baleswar was subsequently transferred to the Khunta police station. Considering the sensitivity of the issues, he urged the Speaker to ask the Chief Minister, who is also the Home Minister, to give a statement immediately. He also sought to know why Raghunath Mohanty and his family members have not so far been arrested even after being denied advance bail by the High Court.
On the rape of the physically-handicapped girl in Patkura, Saluja said that though the sister of the victim has filed an FIR with the local police after being denied justice in the Gram Sabha, no steps are taken to give justice to the victim.
Saluja also pointed out that as many as 11,630 rape cases have been reported during the last 13 years of BJD rule. The number of case of atrocity on women is on the rise by the day.
Since the Speaker did not take any note of Saluja’s contention and asked ruling BJD member Amar Prasad Satpathy to make his point regarding the trespassing of a foreign nationals into the lord Jagannath Temple at Puri, all Congress members trooped into the Well in protest amidst shouting of anti-Government slogans. Some irate members continued thumping the Speaker’s podium demanding statement from the Chief Minister on the two Baleswar dowry torture cases involving Raghunath Mohanty and ADGP Mallick and also on the Patkura rape incident.
Unable to bring normalcy, Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat adjourned the House first at 11.38 am till 12.45 pm and later till 3 pm as the uproar continued following the Speaker’s ruling that there was no need for any further discussion on the present issues as the House had earlier already debated the issues of crimes and law and order in details on Friday.
Due to the Opposition members’ protests, a debate on the admissibility of an adjournment motion relating to the hike in electricity tariff could not be taken up. However, normalcy returned in the afternoon session for discussion and passing of the demand for grants relating to the Planning and Coordination and Women and Child Development Departments for the 2013-14 fiscal.