Odisha cop suspended after rape survivor commits suicide

A police personnel was suspended on Monday for negligence in duty, which allegedly led to a rape survivor committing suicide in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, officials said.

Inspector in-charge Sarat Chandra Mahalik, posted at Jharpokharia police station, was suspended following allegations of inaction on the complaint filed by the rape survivor, they said.

The 23-year-old woman, a teacher of Physics at a college in the district, had filed a complaint alleging rape on October 30, but the police allegedly did not take any action. She committed suicide on Saturday night.

Police suspect the inaction to be the reason behind her death, officials said.

"DGP, Odisha has placed Inspector Sarat Chandra Mahalik, ex-IIC, Jharpokharia police station under suspension with immediate effect for his gross negligence and dereliction of duty," said a statement issued by the state police headquarters in Cuttack.

On Sunday, sub-inspector P K Swain, the investigating officer of the rape case, was suspended. Mahalik was also transferred.

Mayurbhanj's Superintendent of Police P S Parashattamdas said the main accused in the case, Soumya Ranjan Sahu who is a railway employee, and two others have been arrested.

The woman was found hanging inside her college's hostel at Rairangpur. In her complaint, she had alleged she was raped by a distant relative during her visit to Keonjhar district on October 27, police said.

She had also alleged that the man had clicked pictures and threatened her if she reported the incident.

The woman had lodged a complaint with the police after returning from Keonjhar and then an FIR was registered.