A clash erupted on Wednesday between Congress party workers and Odisha Police near the residence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in Bhubaneswar, during a protest over the gang rape of a college student at Gopalpur sea beach in Ganjam district on June 15.
The altercation occurred when police prevented the protesting Congress leaders and workers from marching towards Majhi’s residence to hold a gherao against the heinous incident.
Several prominent Congress 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 subsequently arrested by the police.
Expressing outrage, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra shared on her X (formerly Twitter) handle, “No words are strong enough to condemn the brutality inflicted on a female student by ten attackers in Gopalpur, Odisha. The rising incidents of violence against women are alarming. In a state where even the Chief Minister admits that around 44,000 women and children went missing over the past five years, ensuring women’s safety should be a priority.”
Senior Congress leader and state-in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu called for the resignation of Chief Minister Majhi, accusing him of failing to maintain law and order in the state.
The Odisha Crime Branch’s Crime Against Women and Children Wing reached the Gopalpur police station on Wednesday and launched an investigation into the horrific crime, including visiting the scene of the incident.
Odisha’s Director General of Police (DGP), Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, directed the case to be treated as a “Red Flag,” with investigation under the direct supervision of IG of Police, Shyni S. Commerce and Transport Minister and Gopalpur MLA Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, alongside Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M. The officials also visited the crime scene.
Khurania assured that strict action would be taken against the perpetrators. Notably, Berhampur police arrested all ten accused, including four juveniles named in the FIR lodged by the victim.
According to police reports, the accused overpowered the victim and her boyfriend at Gopalpur beach on Sunday evening, with three of them later gang-raping the woman.