Odisha witnessed rise in rape cases: Home Dept White Paper

Odisha recorded seven rape cases and four murders a day during 2018 as per the White Paper tabled by the Home Department in State Assembly.

The state witnessed a rise in the number of rape cases in 2018 compared to previous year. While the total number of rape cases in 2017 was 2,221, it increased to 2,502 in 2018.

Charge sheet was filed in 1,526 rape cases, the report said, adding that the state witnessed 501 murders over dowry in 2018, said the White Paper which was tabled in the Assembly on Saturday.

The number of murder cases also increased in the state during 2018 which touched 1,378 from 1,267 in 2017, the report said, adding that Odisha recorded 2,120 rioting cases, which is however, less than 2,407 in 2017. The number of riot cases was 1,914 in 2016.

The state has also witnessed increase in the total number of cognizable offences to 1,07,408 cases in 2018 against 1,03,866 cases in 2017. Charge sheet was filed in only 69,341 cases during 2018, the White Paper said.

The report also stated 558 dacoity cases were registered in 2018 while charge sheet was filed in 229 cases.

Properties worth over Rs six crore were recovered out of the Rs 26 crore lost in the dacoity. Similarly, 2,794 fraud cases were registered across the state of which 2,656 were found to be true while charge sheet was filed in 707 cases.

In 2018, a total of 51 female trafficking and 24 male trafficking cases were registered of which charge sheet was filed in 23 and 8 cases respectively.

The White Paper claimed that the state has not witnessed any major terrorist activity in 2018 and no left- wing extremist activity reported from six districts - Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Mayurbhanj, Gajapati and Keonjhar.

It said 19 Maoists were gunned down, 39 arrested and 27 surrendered during 2018. It claimed the law and order situation in Odisha remained peaceful by and large even though firing took place for 33 times due to various reasons.

The state also witnessed 39 cases of communal tensions in 2018.

Opposition Congress and BJP, however, rejected the White Paper. "The government is hiding facts in the White Paper. We will raise the issue in Assembly when the Home department demand comes for discussion on Monday," Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra said on Sunday.

BJP chief whip Mohan Majhi alleged that the law and order in the state has collapsed.