CB tags Class 7 girl’s rape case as ‘Red Flag’

Kendrapara: Odisha Police’s Crime Branch has classified the alleged gang-rape of a Class 7 girl at a private school in Kendrapara district as a ‘Red Flag’ case for fast-track investigation and close monitoring, an official said on Sunday. While the investigating officer will remain the same, the Crime Against Women & Children Wing (CAW&CW) of the Crime Branch-CID will monitor the case, a police officer said.

The ‘Red Flag’ category, introduced in 2014, applies to serious crimes against women, such as rape and murder, to ensure immediate attention and top-priority investigation.

Four teachers, including a woman, and a peon of the private school, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the repeated sexual assault of the 13-year-old student, police said. The arrests were made on Saturday after the student’s father and the District Child Welfare Committee lodged separate complaints at Rajkanika police station, alleging that the accused teachers had raped the minor, a senior officer said. The committee initially investigated the allegation and brought the matter to police, the officer said. “A complaint was lodged on February 18. After a 48-hour-long investigation, we referred the case to the police for legal action,” Child Welfare Committee member Swagatika Patra said. The panel also directed the District Education Officer to carry out a separate investigation into the allegation, she said. “The accused persons were arrested on the basis of preliminary investigation,” Rajkanika police station inspector-in-charge Sanjay Mallick had said.

The minor rape survivor was allegedly subjected to physical abuse for a prolonged period. Deeply traumatised by physical abuse, she later confided the sequence of events to her parents. “The accused persons and the victim were medically examined. As the investigation found prima facie evidence, the accused persons arrested under relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, were later remanded to judicial custody,” said IIC Sanjay Mallick.

Meanwhile, Opposition BJD submitted a memorandum to the Kendrapara SP and demanded stringent punishment for the culprits.