Gang rape survivor made to wait 12 hours in police van for medical examination in Odisha's Keonjhar

Soso Police Station Inspector-in-Charge Pradip Kumar Sethi sought to downplay the delay. He said that delay in the medical examination was unintentional and cited unavoidable issues like the non-availability of a lady doctor at the Anandapur government hospital. 

A shocking case of official apathy has come to light in Odisha's Keonjhar, where a gang rape survivor was allegedly made to wait inside a police van for 12 hours before she could undergo a medical examination.

The incident took place in Keonjhar's district Anandapur sub-division. After the gang rape case was registered at the Soso police station, the 37-year-old survivor was taken to Anandapur sub-divisional hospital in a police van on Thursday morning.

According to the survivor, the doctors refused to carry out the medical examination as the incident had occurred in Salania Community Health Centre (CHC) area. The police personnel who were accompanying the survivors then took her to Salania CHC. Once again, the woman had to wait in the police van as there was no lady doctor at the Community Health Centre to conduct the medical test.

The police personnel then eventually brought her back to the Anandapur sub-divisional hospital at about 9.30 pm. However, the survivor claimed that the doctors said that the full medical examination could not be conducted during the nighttime and that she was told to come the next day. The woman finally underwent a complete medical examination on Friday.

Soso Police Station Inspector-in-Charge Pradip Kumar Sethi sought to downplay the delay. He said that delay in the medical examination was unintentional and cited unavoidable issues like the non-availability of a lady doctor at the Anandapur government hospital. 

However, the woman's relatives alleged that the police brought the gang rape survivor to Soso police station from Anandapur Sub-divisional hospital, a distance of 40 kilometres, at 9 am on Thursday. However, finally, the doctor attended to her at 9.30 pm.

Keonjhar, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), Kishore Chandra Prusty was unavailable for a statement. His office said he was on leave. Other senior district health department officials refused to comment on the issue.

The gang rape incident happened on Wednesday, January 18 (Wednesday), when the survivor was returning from her relative's house with her cousin. Three youths allegedly forcibly abducted the woman after assaulting her cousin. The criminals took turns and raped her in Gohirabai area, the woman alleged in her FIR. Despite the complaint being lodged at the Soso Police Station on Thursday, no arrest had been made till Friday night.