annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Orissa
records, an arrest warrant was pending
against an 18-year-old youth Papi
Gochhayat. However, Lalbag police
arrested the 35-year-old wife of one
Sukadev Gochhayat, bearing the same
name with the accused, and produced her
before the court. The SDJM court also
directed the authorities concerned to
immediately release the innocent woman. 15
On 17 January 2004, Tusharkanta
Acharya was picked up and allegedly
subjected to torture by the police personnel
of the Laxmisagar police station in
Bhubaneswar. He was subsequently
detained for several days without being
produced in the court and mercilessly
beaten up in lock-up. Following a petition
by the victim’s wife Snehanjali Acharya,
in May 2004 the Orissa High Court
directed the chief judicial magistrate,
Khurda to investigate the alleged torture. 16
On 16 June 2004, Prakash Sahu of
Narendrapur village under Sarankul police
station limits in Nayagarh district was
picked up by the police after they allegedly
caught him red handed while playing
satta, gambling, with some locals inside
the Jhadeswari Temple premises. In the
police station Sahu was allegedly brutally
beaten up by the policemen. He had to be
rushed to the SCB Medical College and
Hospital, Cuttack in critical condition. 17
III. Violence against women
There has been sharp increase of
violence against women in Orissa. The
white paper published by the State Home
Department reported a sharp increase of
190
incidents of atrocities on women in 2003.
The white paper stated that there has been
an increase of 4.9 per cent in rape - 725
rape cases were recorded in 2003
compared to 691 in 2002. 420 cases of
dowry related deaths were reported in
2003, compared to 418 in the previous
year. A total 1240 dowry related torture
cares were reported in 2003 compared to
1040 in 2002. 18
The law enforcement personnel were
also responsible for alleged rape.
On the night of 6 June 2004, a
woman was allegedly gang raped by three
policemen at the premises of the Bank of
Baroda at Buxi Bazar under Cantonment
police station limits. The victim was
waiting for a rickshaw near the Bhartia
Towers at Badambadi Bus Stand at
around 8 pm to go to her brother’s house
when two policemen offered her a lift,
assuring to take her to her brother’s
house. But the policemen took her to the
Bank of Baroda premises, where another
three policemen appeared. The policemen
allegedly watched pornographic films,
forced her to drink liquor, and raped her
for six hours from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. She
was also allegedly beaten up and forced
to indulge in unnatural sex. At about 3
a.m. they released her from the bank
premises by offering her some money
while threatening her with dire
consequences if she spoke to any one
about the incident. She escaped to her
relative’s house at Kantilo village in
Nayagarh district, from where the police
recovered her on 23 June 2004, and sent