BALASORE: Sadar police, on Saturday, arrested four persons, including the manager of the Golden Plaza hotel, in connection with Friday’s gang rape of a minor girl.The arrested are Sandeep Senapati (21) from Phuladi, Vikas Tapasi (21) from Silad village under Sadar police station, Khitanshu Senapati (21) from Aradbazar under Sahadevkhunta police station, and the hotel Golden Plaza manager, Umakanta Sahu (44).
Based on the complaint filed by the survivor’s parents on September 22, police arrested the four under various sections of the IPC.SDPO Shashank Sekhar Beuria said, Sandeep had developed relationship with the victim over several years and both were in touch through phone calls and WhatsApp messages. However, when the victim began to distance herself from Sandeep and reportedly engaged with another person, he was enraged and sought revenge.
On September 21, Sandeep requested the minor girl’s parents to allow her to accompany him to Panchulingeswar. Instead, he took her to Golden Plaza hotel in Chandipur where he called his associates, Vikas and Khitanshu, and allegedly sexually assaulted her. Shockingly, the hotel manager, Umakanta Sahu, not only allowed these acts to occur but also accepted money for it, Beuria said.
After the ordeal, Sandeep dropped the girl back at her home. When questioned, the girl disclosed the incident to her parents, who immediately sought medical attention for her at Rupsa CHC and later at Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital (FM MCH).
Subsequently, a complaint was lodged with the Sadar police station on September 22. Soon after, police arrested the three assailants and the hotel manager besides the district administration sealing the hotel.
The SDPO also revealed that the hotel manager had been linked to another case in 2020. Following medical examinations, the four accused were presented in court, and remanded to judicial custody.