BALASORE: Tension prevailed in Bhograi area for the second consecutive day on Monday as locals staged protests demanding immediate arrest of culprits involved in stripping of a college girl near Talasari beach.
Accusing the police of inaction even after 24 hours of the victim lodging an FIR, parents of the girl along with students and members of Mahamayee Nari Sangha, a self-help group of Bindha Padmapur village, Talasari Marine Society staged a demonstration in front of the police station.
The protestors also demanded better security for tourists, strict laws to curb the use of drugs and prohibition of liquor consumption on the beach. Citing a recent case in which two Bengali girls were gang-raped in a guest house in the area, they alleged that though such incidents are happening on a regular basis, police have failed to arrest the culprits.
A college girl of Bhograi was allegedly stripped and molested in the presence of her boyfriend by some youths near Talasari beach. The matter came to light after a video of the incident went viral on social media on Friday. An FIR was lodged with Udaypur-Talasari Marine police station on Sunday. The victim had gone to the beach with her friend after classes at around 2 pm.
They took the help of two local youths who acted as guides for tourists. Later, one of the youths took them to an isolated place in a casuarina forest near the beach while the other called his friend and followed them on a bike.
The trio then allegedly molested the girl and tried to rape her. When the girl resisted, they stripped her. The entire incident was recorded by one of the youths on his mobile phone. Sources said Udaypur-Talasari police have detained a person in this regard.