Odisha: BJD suspends party corporator arrested in rape case

BHUBANESHWAR(Odisha): Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday announced the suspension of Amaresh Jena, a corporator of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation who has been arrested in connection with a rape case.

According to the Laxmisagar police, Jena was arrested in Balasore district after trying to evade arrest for days.

Previously, five individuals were arrested and booked for harbouring Jena. Police said that these five people provided conveyance and assisted the accused in evading arrest.

They have been arrested and forwarded under sections 64(2)(m), 89, 296, 351(2), 61(2), 249, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), read with Section 6 of the POCSO Act.

The five arrested accused have been identified as Bibek Kumar Swain (29), Bikram Mohanty (42), Debendra Kumar Bhola alias Bulu (45), Suman Kumar Sahoo (27), and Rajib Champati (45).

Menawhile, political tensions are on a high in the State after the horrific rape case in Jagatsinghpur district. Both the Congress and the BJD have accused the state’s BJP-led government of administrative failure and poor law and order, particularly regarding women’s safety.

Congress leader Rajani Kumar Mohanty strongly criticised the state administration, claiming that months of appeals for action, inside and outside the Assembly, have gone unheard.

“Not just Jagatsinghpur, the situation across the entire state has deteriorated drastically. Odisha has now been declared the most unsafe state for women. The recent incident in Jagatsinghpur is horrific. Two men were in a sexual relationship with a girl for six months, she became pregnant, and now one of the accused has been absconding for five days,” Mohanty said.

Earlier, Former Odisha Chief Minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday raised concern over the safety of women in the state, stating that a “disturbing” wave of crimes against women is “gripping” the state. He said the recent surge in sexual assaults reflects a troubling erosion of law enforcement. (ANI)