By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK: It took almost 22 years for Odisha Police to reach to the main accused in the advocate Anjana Mishra gang rape case that had rocked the then late JB Patnaik Government in 1999. Backed by able and energetic Police Commissioner, Dr Sudhanshu Sarangi, police had launched ‘Operation Silent Viper’ 3 month back with a team of three police personnel, including Cuttack DCP Prateek Singh and finally, On February 19, a special team led by Badambadi police station IIC Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra left for Mumbai to nab the accused, Biban Biswal.
On the intervening night of January 9-10, 1999 Anjana was gang-raped by three persons near Baranga while she was going to Cuttack from Bhubaneswar along with a journalist-friend in a car. She was raped by Padia, Dhirendra and Biban, On January 26 that year, Padia and Dhirendra were arrested.In 2002, Khordha District and Sessions Judge Court had sentenced Padia Sahu and Dhirendra Mohanty to life imprisonment in the gang rape case. On February 24 2020, Padia died following illness.
Biswal , key accused in Anjana Mishra Gang Rape had been absconding for the last 22 years and arrested from Lonavala in Maharashtra.Police Commissioner Dr Sarangi said the accused had changed his name to Jalandar Swain and was staying in Aamby Valley in Lonavala near Mumbai. He was working as a plumber there.
“He had mentioned Naranpur (Cuttack) in his permanent address. When we initiated an inquiry, we found out that no such person belongs to Naranpur. He had a permanent job, Aadhaar card and bank account there. But he was in contact with his family members and had asked his family to get a death certificate in his name to avoid police detention in future,” the Dr Sarangi said.
Odisha police with the help of Maharashtra counterparts launched operation ‘Aamby Valley’. The cops got to know that a person named Swain works in Aamby Valley as a mechanic and stays in a staff quarters two and a half km away. Seeing the police, the accused tried to escape. However, the cops managed to nab him and brought him here,” Dr Sarangi said.
Witnesses have recognized him and he will be handed over to CBI, which is investigating the 1999 case. The next course of action will be taken by the investigating agency.
Victim Anjana Mishra in her reaction said, “Biban should be hanged till death.” Expressing happiness, Mishra said, “I feel relieved and happy now. I had not expected that the main culprit will be arrested one day. In fact, I was told that he has died.” She further said that an investigating agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sat over the case for years and did not take any action. “I thank Police Commissioner Sudhanshu Sarangi and his team for delivering justice to me. May god bless them.”
