Trouble for Odisha’s ruling BJD MLA as woman levels rape charge against him
‘Truth will come out after probe,’ says lawmaker
BY SUKANT MOHANTY
BHUBANESWAR, JULY 19 : Trouble mounted for Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA from Tirtol, Bijay Shankar Das, as his girlfriend and wife-to-be Somalika Dash on Monday made serious allegation of rape against him.
Somalika reportedly sent her complaint to the police through postal services alleging that the lawmaker had raped her on the promises of marriage.
The lawmaker, however, denied the charges as “baseless” and said a fair probe into the allegation would reveal the truth.
“As you all know, the Crime Branch is already probing into some of the earlier allegations made against me by Somalika. Truth will come out after the probe is over,”
As per reports, the complaint letter was sent to the Jagatsinghpur district police headquarters.
Earlier, Somalika had lodged complaint with the Jagatsinghpur police accusing the lawmaker running a sex racket and brothel, a charge which Bijay Shankar had rebuffed.
In fact, Bijay Shankar and Somalika were in a relationship for years. They had even decided to enter into the wedlock on June 18 by registering their marriage at the office of the Registrar of Marriage at Jagatsinghpur.
However, Bijay Shankar did not turn up at the Registrar of Marriage office citing that he was attending his ailing mother in hospital. Unsatisfied with his plea, Somalika had approached Jagatsinghpur police on that very day and lodged a complaint alleging that the lawmaker was operating sex racket to raise money for election expenses.
On July 4, Jagatsinghpur superintendent of police (SP) Akhileswar Singh wrote to the additional director general of police, Crime Branch to pass an order to take up the case by the Crime Branch for a detailed investigation into the allegations of the complainant.
“The complainant has alleged that the first information report-named accused is operating sex racket and running brothel house. As a result of which there is much hue and cry over the issue politically as well as on social media. As the FIR-named accused is the sitting MLA of Tirtol Assembly Constituency, it has become a sensitive issue,” the Jagatsinghpur SP had written in the letter to the ADG, Crime Branch.
“Under the above circumstances, it is requested that orders may be passed that the investigation of the above noted case may be taken up by CID, CB, Odisha for a detailed investigation to the allegations of the complainant of the case,” the SP had added.
