Rayagada: A minor girl from the Gunupur area has sought intervention from the District Collector, alleging sexual assault by a relative and subsequent inaction by local police despite a formal complaint filed nearly a month ago.
Accompanied by social worker Binodini Garadia, the girl approached the District Collector’s grievance cell on Monday, narrating her ordeal.
According to her account, on July 8th around 12:30 PM, while she was en route to a local shop for photocopying, a young man from her village, who is also a relative, forcibly took her to a nearby forest and attempted to sexually assault her.
The girl stated that the accused threatened to kill her if she revealed the incident. Fearing for her safety and reputation, she initially remained silent. However, she mustered the courage to lodge a written complaint with the Gunupur police station on July 11th.
Despite filing the complaint, the girl alleges that no concrete action has been taken against the accused in the weeks since.
She first met the Rayagada Superintendent of Police (SP), who directed the Gunupur Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) to investigate the case.
However, with no visible progress or arrest, she was compelled to approach District Collector Ashutosh Kulkarni.
District Collector Kulkarni discussed the serious allegations with the police authorities. He assured the girl and her representative that an investigation would be conducted promptly, and appropriate legal action would be taken based on the findings.