Odisha: Congress holds protest over gang rape of college student 

Bhubaneswar, June 18 (IANS) A scuffle on Wednesday broke out between the workers of Congress party and Odisha Police near the residence of Chief Minster Mohan Charan Majhi in Bhubaneswar during a protest by the opposition party over the gang rape of a college student at Gopalpur sea beach in Ganjam district, that took place on June 15. 

The tussle ensued after the Odisha Police stopped the protesting Congress workers and leaders marching towards the residence of Majhi to hold a gherao against the Gopalpur gang rape incident. 

Several congress party leaders including State in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu, Congress Legislative Party leader Ramchandra Kadam, MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Ashok Das, Sudhanshu Shekhar Dev, Youth State President Ranjit Patra, NSUI State President Udit Pradhan and others were later arrested by the police. 

“No words are strong enough to condemn the brutalities perpetrated against a female student by ten persons in Gopalpur of Odisha. Incidents of violence against women have been rising each day in Odisha. In a state where the Chief Minister himself confessed that around 44,000 women and children had gone missing during the past five years, it is an atrocity on women when women's safety isn’t given priority there,” wrote Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on her ‘X’ handle. 

Senior congress leader and state-in-charge Lallu demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Majhi for failing to control law and order in the state. 

The Crime Against Women and Children Wing of Odisha Crime Branch, on Wednesday, reached Gopalpur police station and initiated a probe into the heinous offence, visiting the crime scene. 

The Odisha DGP, Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, on Tuesday directed the case to be treated as a Red Flag and the investigation to be held under direct supervision of IG of Police, CAW&CW Shyni S. Commerce and Transport department minister and Gopalpur MLA Bibhuti Bhusan Jena along with the Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M visited the crime spot on Wednesday. 

He assured exemplary action against the culprits. Notably, the Berhampur police on Tuesday nabbed all ten accused persons, including four juveniles named in the FIR lodged by the victim. 

As per the police, the accused persons on Sunday evening overpowered the victim and her boyfriend at the Gopalpur beach, and later, three of them gangraped the victim.