Jajpur: Even as the world celebrated women’s day with much pomp and grandeur on Monday, a minor tribal girl was allegedly gang-raped by four men the previous night.
The victim, a college student from Duburi area in Jajpur district, was on her way to collect scholarship money from a private company at Kaliapani area in the district when she was allegedly abducted by four miscreants. The girl was reportedly travelling with one of her male friends.
As per reports, the accused intercepted the duo near Kaliapani and later forcibly took the girl to an isolated place near Kalarangi mines area where they raped her in turns.
Somehow the victim managed to escape from the clutches of her tormentors and reached the house of a woman home guard who then reported the matter to Kaliapani police station.
Later carrying out investigation, Kaliapani police arrested four persons in connection with the gang rape case. As per sources, one of accused works as a cook with OISF in the region. All the accused have been sent to judicial custody after their bail petition was rejected yesterday.
Jajpur SP Rahul PR said, “On March 7, we had registered a case after the victim lodged a complaint in connection with the incident. We immediately took steps and detained the suspects on the same night. All the accused have been arrested after conduct of their medical examination.”
The victim’s family members, on the other hand, have alleged the involvement of the male friend of the girl in the incident.
“The male friend had taken the girl. Later, four others kidnapped the girl and gang raped her. She somehow managed to escape from the spot. We want police to investigate the role of the male friend,” said one of the relatives of the victim.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Lekhashree Samantsinghar slammed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government to the spurt in the rise in the number of crimes and atrocities against women in Odisha.
(Edited By Suryakant Jena)