- A 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped by Babani Shankar Das, posing as a doctor in Odisha
- Das promised free accommodation and nursing education to poor girls through an Anganwadi worker
- The girl was drugged with water laced with a substance before the alleged rape at Das's home
On June 23, at around 11pm, a 45-year-old woman filed a complaint at the Baidhyanadpur Police Station in Odisha's Ganjam. She alleged her niece, a 17-year-old girl, had been raped by Babani Shankar Das, a man posing as a doctor and who runs the Vajpayee Arogyadam 'clinic'.
A preliminary investigation indicated the girl's mother was introduced to Das, 47, through an Anganwadi worker, a 50-year-old woman who lives in the same village and told the mother he would provide free accommodation and education to poor and underprivileged girls.
Believing her, the mother and her second daughter accompanied the girl, who was allegedly raped, to the clinic and met Das three days earlier, i.e., June 20.
The Anganwadi worker's recommendation seemed to be coming true; Das promised the family he would help the girl get a nursing degree and provide free accommodation.
Delighted, the mother allowed her daughter to stay in the suggested accommodation.
All was good for three days till June 23, when the 17-year-old girl came to the clinic.
At 5pm that day, per the doctor's direction, the family left the girl with the doctor. At 7pm Das took the girl to his home and his assistant, Priyanka Sahu, gave her some water.
Only there was more than just water in the glass.
After drinking it the girl felt weak but was able to speak and realise what was happening.
Das then allegedly raped her.
Sent away after the alleged rape, she rushed to her aunt's home, who then accompanied her to the police station, where a case under the strict anti-child sex abuse law, POCSO, was filed.
A medical examination was conducted and a forensic team visited the clinic and Das' home to collect evidence. Prima facie it appears he posed as a doctor with a fake degree in homeopathy.
A more complete investigation is ongoing but three persons, including Das, have been arrested so far. The other two are his assistant, 21-year-old Priyanka Sahu, and the Anganwadi worker.
With inputs from Devkumar Ghosh in Bhubaneswar
