# Odisha Police IIC absconds after High Court withdraws rape case protection 2026-08-23T06:21:35+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Suspended Sarankul police station IIC Sujit Kumar Das is absconding after the Odisha High Court withdrew his interim protection in a rape case. The court also rejected his anticipatory bail plea and directed him to surrender before the lower court. Das was suspended following allegations of rape by a woman. The case, initially investigated by police, was transferred to the Crime Branch's Crime Against Women wing. The Crime Branch reportedly gathered preliminary evidence establishing the credibility of the allegations. Das had approached the High Court seeking anticipatory bail and was granted interim protection. He appeared before the Crime Branch as directed, but the agency sought withdrawal of his protection, submitting evidence. After hearing the matter on August 20, the court withdrew the protection. Further investigation is underway. ## Indian Opinion Analysis This case underscores the vulnerability of complainants when the accused is a serving police officer. The Crime Branch's decision to seek withdrawal of interim protection suggests they have built a prima facie case. With Das now absconding, the immediate next step is likely the issuance of a non-bailable warrant and a lookout notice. The court's rejection of anticipatory bail indicates it found merit in the prosecution's evidence. Watch for the next court date and whether the state government takes departmental action. ## Coverage - odishatv.in Straightforward reporting of police and court actions without editorial comment or sensationalism. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Crime Branch, Odisha High Court, Odisha Police, Sujit Kumar Das Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/odisha-police-iic-absconds-after-high-court-withdraws-rape-case-protection/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/odisha-police-iic-absconds-after-high-court-withdraws-rape-case-protection/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/