Odisha News: In a shocking turn of events, Congress has raised serious allegations against the Cuttack police, accusing them of refusing to register the complaint of a gang rape victim across three police stations. The opposition party has called this inaction “worrying” and has demanded a thorough investigation into the polices conduct.Three Police Stations Refuse to Register FIRCongress MLA from Cuttack-Barabati, Sophia Firdous, has claimed that the 19-year-old woman, who was gang-raped by a group of men, had to travel from one police station to another to register her complaint. According to Firdous, the victim initially approached Puri Ghat police station, then Sadar police station, and later Barang police station. However, all three stations allegedly refused to register her complaint. It was only after considerable delay that her FIR was finally registered at the Badambadi police station.“The delay in registering the FIR is deeply worrying and raises concerns about the accountability of law enforcement agencies, especially in cases of violence against women,” Firdous said, emphasizing the need for an inquiry into why the police stations failed to act promptly.Gang Rape Victim Blackmailed by Boyfriend and FriendsAccording to the police report, the victim, a college student, had gone to a cafe in the Puri Ghat area with her boyfriend to celebrate her birthday during the Dussehra festival. During their time at the cafe, her boyfriend, with the help of the cafe owner, secretly filmed intimate moments between the two. The boyfriend and his friends then used this video to blackmail the victim, raping her multiple times.Following the police investigation, six individuals, including the victims boyfriend, were arrested in connection with the crime. The police noted that the accused filmed the sexual assault and used the video to intimidate and exploit the victim.Congress MLAs Call for InvestigationOn Saturday, Congress MLA Sophia Firdous met with Odishas Director General of Police (DGP) YB Khurania to submit a memorandum urging an investigation into the polices refusal to register the FIR.Firdous said that such delays in filing reports for serious crimes like rape need to be addressed promptly to avoid undermining public trust in law enforcement. We have raised concerns about the way the case was initially handled by the police, Firdous explained. If this pattern of negligence continues, it will send the wrong message to the public.Police Response and InvestigationCuttacks Deputy Commissioner of Police, Jagmohan Meena, responded to the allegations, stating that the police would investigate the claims made by the MLA. However, he clarified that neither the victim nor her family had made such allegations regarding the delay. We will look into the issue thoroughly. The victim is safe, and the case is being handled with the utmost seriousness, Meena assured.
