BARIPADA: In another instance of growing crimes against women, a 21-year-old was allegedly gang-raped by six persons in a passenger van on the state highway under Udala police limits on Friday evening.
According to the complaint lodged with the police, the incident took place between 6 pm and 7 pm along the Udala-Balasore road. The accused, all from the Sarat area, allegedly raped the survivor in the moving van and later abandoned her on the road when she screamed for help.
A complaint filed by the survivor’s mother stated that her daughter had acquaintance with two of the accused whom she had met during the Makar Festival celebrations in Bangiriposi earlier this year. The duo had exchanged phone numbers with her and later promised to arrange a job in a private company. Trusting their words, the victim’s mother had allowed her to pursue the opportunity.
On Friday, the duo, accompanied by four others, went to the 21-year-old’s house and persuaded her to come with them. While the vehicle was headed from Kaptipada Chowk towards Balasore, the woman was gang-raped inside the van, around 70 km from Bangiriposi. When she screamed for help, the accused dumped her by the road side and then fled.
The survivor managed to inform her mother, who immediately rushed to the spot and took the daughter home. Later, she went to Bangiriposi police station to lodge a complaint.
Based on the FIR, Bangiriposi IIC Birendra Senapati detained two suspects from Sarat in the wee hours of Saturday and later took them to Udala police station.
A case of gang-rape has been registered at Udala police station. Udala SDPO Hrusikesh Nayak said that four others are absconding. Police have launched a manhunt and further investigation is underway.