New Delhi, November 9
The Delhi Police arrested three persons who had allegedly kidnapped and gang raped a mentally ill woman from Odisha in the Sarai Kale Khan area last month.
The police stated that the victim has a postgraduate degree in social work from Utkal University of Culture, Bhubaneswar, has been a research fellow, and has over eight years of experience in the social sector. he has actively contributed to various developmental organisations. She also worked as a Research Fellow at Kalinga Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS, Community Leader at Women Power for Sanitation Awareness, and Counsellor at One Stop Centre in Puri.
As per the case details, she travelled to Delhi on May 9 without informing her family which has filed a missing person's report in Puri. She was rescued a day after the alleged rape when she gave an initial statement but could not cooperate further with the police investigation or the hospital staff due to her illness.
A police officer posing as a social worker, with the help of a native Odia speaker, gained her trust over time and gathered crucial information from her.
The first arrest was made on October 30 and subsequently, the other two accused were held. They received information regarding a woman lying injured and bleeding near Sarai Kale Khan area on October 11.
DCP (Southeast) Ravi Kumar Singh said, “Upon reaching the hospital, the victim disclosed to the attending doctor that she had been sexually assaulted by three people. She travelled to Delhi on May 9 without informing her family. A missing person's report was registered by her parents on June 9 at Kumbharpada police station in Puri".
He added, “As she was not able to share vital clues, thus during the operation, special permission was taken from the management staff of AIIMS Trauma Centre, and a woman officer Sangeeta took cover as a social worker while a native Odia woman took cover as a nurse and they were assigned to take care of the victim to try to build trust and gather crucial information from her”.
Seeing no major clues, the police formed 10 special teams and scanned over 700 CCTVs. More than 150 suspected autorickshaws were also checked to nab the accused. The police arrested the first accused an auto rickshaw driver.
During interrogation, Pramod said that on October 10, he noticed a woman sitting close to the Old Delhi railway station. He allegedly made a plan with Shamsul, a beggar who had a physical handicap, to sexually assault the girl, assuming that she was mentally unsound and an easy target. They allegedly forcibly dragged her to a deserted area to commit the crime. The incident was witnessed by Prabhu Mahto, who also allegedly raped her. Mahto, then, dumped the victim near Sarai Kale Khan and fled.
The victim is receiving treatment for her mental health condition at AIIMS, Delhi after the alleged gang rape on October 10.
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