Rape Accused Shoots Himself to Frame Victim’s Family in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: In a shocking and bizarre incident, a man accused in a 2024 rape case allegedly shot himself near the Balipatna police station on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar late Friday night in an apparent attempt to frame the family of the survivor.

The accused, identified as Dipti Ranjan Mohapatra alias Kuna of Guapur village, sustained a gunshot injury to his hand and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital. According to police, the injury was self-inflicted and part of a calculated plan to falsely accuse the husband of the rape survivor of attempted murder.

Preliminary investigation reveals that Dipti had positioned himself near the survivor’s residence and used a country-made pistol to shoot himself in the hand. He then tried to make it appear as though he had been attacked by members of the victim’s family, allegedly as a form of revenge.

“Dipti had been arrested in 2024 in connection with a rape case. To settle scores with the survivor’s family, he orchestrated this plan to implicate them in a fresh legal case,” a police official stated. “He will be formally arrested after his condition stabilizes.”

In connection with the case, police have also arrested one Amresh Pradhan alias Banguru, who allegedly assisted Dipti in procuring the firearm used in the act.

A detailed investigation into the incident is currently underway.