BHUBANESWAR: Two persons, including the owner of a beauty parlour in Jagamara area, were arrested on Tuesday on charges of raping a 20-year-old woman on the pretext of giving her a job.
The accused have been identified as Rabindra Mohanty, a resident of Kolathia who runs the unisex beauty parlour, and his staff Santosh Barik, a native of Ragadipada in Cuttack district.
The third accused, a customer, who was also allegedly involved in the crime is yet to be apprehended. A manhunt has been launched to trace him, police said.
According to police, the victim had recently completed a beauty parlour training course and was seeking employment when she met Mohanty on June 2. He allegedly offered her a job at his parlour and she reported to work the following day.
On the same evening, the woman was allegedly gang-raped on the premises by Mohanty, Barik and the customer. The accused then threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the incident to anyone.
The woman, however, mustered courage and lodged a complaint at the Khandagiri police station on the day. Acting on her statement, police apprehended Mohanty and Barik. Her statement was recorded, and she was referred to a hospital for medical examination. A forensic team visited the site for investigation.
The parlour has been sealed and further investigation is underway, officials said.