3 men dump 15-yr-old Odisha girl after gang-rape, then truck driver rapes her
The traumatised girl was trying to come back home when a truck driver picked her up on Malkangiri-Jeypore highway at Bijaghati and sexually assaulted her. She was eventually rescued by some local people and filed a police complaint.
The four suspects, including the truck driver, have been arrested, police said on Tuesday.
The girl, a resident of Malkangiri Sadar block, had gone to attend a birthday party of her friend. While she was coming back home late on Sunday, she was abducted by three individuals and taken to a place 10 to 15 kilometres from Malkangiri town. The three allegedly tortured and took turns to rape her.
Malkangiri superintendent of police (SP) Vinodh Patil said four persons involved in the crime, including the truck driver, have been arrested. They are Manoj Harijan, Rohit Kumar Hial, Bira Bhartia and driver Sobham Singh.
Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik said the rise in sexual assaults against women in the state was horrifying.
'A disturbing wave of crimes against women is gripping Odisha... This surge in sexual assaults reflects a troubling erosion of law enforcement. When the various ranks of the police face interference and political pressure, accountability weakens—and women and girls pay the price first. Adding to this concern, the US government last month issued a Level 2 travel advisory that listed Odisha among six Indian states where American employees must seek special approval to travel beyond capital cities. Without urgent and decisive police action and political will backing it, this problem will only grow. The BJP government must act immediately to restore safety and rebuild women's trust in the system sworn to protect them. BJD will continue to raise its voice for the protection of our mothers and sisters in every forum,' he said in a post on X.
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