Odisha: A 20-year-old college student was gangraped by three men while her male classmate was allegedly held hostage by seven others at the Gopalpur beach in Odisha’s Ganjam district on Sunday evening (June 15).
The horrific crime took place in an isolated area behind Panthanivas, a well-known government resort under Gopalpur police limits.
Here's What Happened
The survivor, a Plus Three student at a Ganjam college, had gone to the beach around 6:30 pm with her classmate. They spotted a group of 10 men nearby but sensed no threat. However, after nightfall, the group allegedly attacked the boy, restrained him, and proceeded to take turns raping the girl over two harrowing hours. Some of the others allegedly pinned her down during the assault, police reported.
When the male friend tried to resist or raise an alarm, the attackers allegedly attempted to strangle him. The ordeal ended only when the perpetrators fled the scene.
Eight Accused Arrested; Two Absconding
Despite the trauma, the survivor showed immense courage by reaching the Gopalpur police station around 11:00 pm to file a complaint. In response, the police rounded up seven suspects within hours, and later nabbed an eighth.
All accused arrested are aged between 19 and 23 and hail from Hinjili. Most of them are school or college dropouts, according to a report by The Times of India. Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M confirmed that three teams have been formed to trace the two absconding accused.
“A case has been registered under Section 70(1) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Detailed investigation is underway,” the SP told reporters.
Both the victim and the detained accused have undergone medical examination at MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur.
