A large number of Dalit people, including women, on Wednesday took to the streets in Astarang protesting against police inaction in the investigations in a rape case, in which a minor girl from the Dalit community was allegedly raped on April 5. Tension gripped the Astarang police station as the protestors barged into police station demanding immediate arrest of the culprit. A scuffle ensued between the cops and the protestors. Angry locals even pelted stones at the police.
Sources said four policemen, including Nimapara SDPO Arun Kumar Jena, sustained injuries in the stone pelting. Several persons were also injured in the scuffle.
“We demand stringent action against the Astaranga police station IIC Rabi Bhanja for his failure to nab the culprits in the case,” said litu Das, one of the protestors.
“Three weeks have elapsed into the rape incident. Police are sitting idle only registering a case,” added Das.
“We demand the arrest of the culprit involved in the rape and Astaranga IIC and local DSP under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for facilitating the escape of the accused and failure to conduct the medical examination at the proper time,” said Das. Notably, a minor girl of Patalada village under Astaranga police station limits was allegedly raped in broad daylight by a youth Manoj Mallick of the same village on April 5. The matter was reported to the police the next day.
Meanwhile, admitting that the police are yet to nab the culprits Nimapara SDPO Arun Kumar Jena said efforts were on to trace the culprit. “There is no inaction on the part of the police as alleged by the protestors. Investigation is on and we will arrest the culprit soon,” said Jena.