Congress Protests in Bhubaneswar Over Gopalpur Gang Rape Incident: Tensions Rise

Protest Erupts in Bhubaneswar

In Bhubaneswar, a clash occurred on Wednesday between Congress party members and Odisha Police near Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's residence. This confrontation arose during a protest against the gang rape of a college student at Gopalpur beach in Ganjam district, which happened on June 15.

The altercation began when police intervened to prevent Congress workers and leaders from advancing towards Majhi's home to stage a gherao regarding the Gopalpur incident.

Several prominent Congress figures, including State in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu, Congress Legislative Party leader Ramchandra Kadam, and others, were subsequently detained by law enforcement.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a Congress leader, expressed her outrage on social media, stating, "No words can adequately condemn the violence inflicted upon a female student by ten individuals in Gopalpur. The rise in violence against women in Odisha is alarming, especially in a state where the Chief Minister acknowledged that approximately 44,000 women and children have gone missing in the last five years. Women's safety must be prioritized."

Lallu also called for Chief Minister Majhi's resignation, citing his inability to maintain law and order.

The Crime Against Women and Children Wing of the Odisha Crime Branch has commenced an investigation into the serious crime, visiting the site of the incident.

Odisha's Director General of Police, Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, has classified the case as a Red Flag and mandated that the investigation be overseen directly by the Inspector General of Police, CAW & CW, Shyni S. Commerce and Transport Minister and Gopalpur MLA Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, along with Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M, visited the crime scene on Wednesday.

Khurania assured that strict action would be taken against those responsible. Notably, the Berhampur police apprehended all ten suspects, including four juveniles, named in the victim's FIR.

According to police reports, the accused attacked the victim and her boyfriend at Gopalpur beach on Sunday evening, leading to the assault.