Congress Team Probes Gopalpur Gang-Rape, Slams Odisha Govt

Bhubaneswar: A high-level Congress fact-finding team led by former AICC general secretary Deepa Dasmunshi visited Gopalpur beach in Ganjam district on Saturday to investigate the alleged gang-rape of a 20-year-old college student by ten individuals, including four minors.

The all-women delegation comprised MPs Ranjeet Ranjan, Praniti Shinde, S. Jothimani, and former AICC spokesperson Shobha Oza. The team was tasked with conducting an on-ground inquiry, meeting the survivor and her family, interacting with police officials, and submitting a report to the Congress high command.

According to police, the crime occurred on June 15, when the survivor, a student of a private college, was visiting Gopalpur beach with her boyfriend during the Raja festival. All ten accused have since been arrested.

“The party is extremely concerned over the rise in crimes against women in Odisha. This team has been sent to understand the situation directly from the ground,” said Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das. He added that he had written to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi requesting a meeting for the team.

During their visit to Gopalpur, the Congress MPs spoke with local residents to assess the security arrangements at the beach and later met Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M. The SP briefed them on both the June 15 Gopalpur case and the June 5 rape of two minor girls in Golanthara, confirming arrests in both incidents.

“We visited the spot where the crime occurred and were shocked to find zero safety measures in place, despite Gopalpur being a major tourist hub,” said Rajya Sabha MP Ranjeet Ranjan. She added that the delegation intends to meet President Droupadi Murmu and raise the matter in Parliament.

Ranjan further alleged that at least three gang-rape cases had been reported in Odisha within one week. “Instead of addressing these issues, the government suspended our MLAs who demanded a House committee discussion on the matter,” she said.

Meanwhile, Odisha Pradesh Mahila Congress president Meenakshi Bahinipati and Congress MLA Sofia Firdous held a press conference in Delhi, criticizing the state government for its failure to ensure women’s safety.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi also condemned the incident on social media, accusing the BJP-led government in Odisha of “gross negligence” regarding women’s security.

Responding to the criticism, BJP’s Ganjam district president Saroj Sabat said the state government is taking the case seriously, with an Inspector General-rank officer overseeing the investigation.

BJD senior leader and former MP Chandra Sekhar Sahu stated that his party was the first to protest the Gopalpur incident, while former Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik also condemned the crime and expressed concern over the lack of safety measures at prominent tourist destinations like Gopalpur.