State govt failed to curb crimes against women, says Lekhasri

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dalleader, Lekhasri Samantsinghar, on Monday criticised the BJP-led government in Odisha for failing to curb crimeagainst women. Lekhasri said, “Since the BJP government has been formed in Odisha, expectations of good governance have not been met, with crime against women increasing.”

The BJD leader cited several incidents of alleged sexual assault in Khurda and Bhubaneswar and also the rape and murder of a minor girl in Balasore. “On August 27, a nine-year-old tribal girl from Balasore was brutally raped and killed,” she said. Despite complaints from the family, Lekhasri said the police took no action, eventually seizing the victim’s body four days after the incident.

She also mentioned that a planned visit to Remunda by the Chief Minister was canceled following the incident. “Neither the Chief Minister nor other State Cabinet members visited the area,” she said.

The BJD president and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik raised the issue in the Assembly on Saturday, criticising the current government’s handling of crimes.“All major crimes, including this latest case, should be informed to the Chief Minister, who is also the Home Minister. This is a serious matter which never occurred during my government’s tenure,” Patnaik said.

Meanwhile, a 46-year-old man was arrested on charges of raping and murdering the nine-year-old tribal girl in Balasore, police said on Sunday.According to Remuna police in-charge Hasina Kulu, the girl went missing from her home on August 27, and her decomposed body was discovered in an abandoned house on August 30.

Accused Rabi Singh was arrested on Saturday and has been charged under various sections related to rape and murder, including sections 103, 165, 4(2) of the BNS Act, and POCSO Act, Kulu said, adding that he has been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

“Investigation revealed that the accused is a friend of victim’s father and stayed at their home before the day of the crime. The next morning, the accused took the girl for snacks and brought her to an abandoned house where he committed the crime. He later used a piece of concrete slab to smash her head,”

the officer said.