BERHAMPUR: Two minor siblings were allegedly abducted from a wedding and gang-raped by four youths in an abandoned house within Golanthara police limits in Ganjam district.
The shocking incident took place late in the night on June 3 and came to light after family members of the survivors lodged a complaint in Golanthara police station on Friday.
Police said on Tuesday night, a marriage ceremony was being held in a house at Markandi village. Relatives of the host family including the 15-year-old girl and her 11-year-old sister were present in the house. In the middle of the festivities, the two girls went missing mysteriously.
Worried family members launched a frantic search but could not trace them. Later, they came to know that two youths present in the event had lured the girls to an abandoned house at ODRP colony on the village outskirts. The youths along with two of their accomplices reportedly took turns to sexually assault the minors before abandoning them in the house.
The next morning, family members found the girls in the abandoned house. On reaching home, the girls narrated their ordeal before their parents. Family members were shocked as the four accused youths were of the same village. Besides, fearing social stigma, they remained tight-lipped about the incident.
Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said family members of the survivors informed Golanthara police about the incident late in the night on Thursday. On Friday morning, they lodged a written complaint basing on which police registered a case. Medical examination of the two survivors was conducted at MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur. Police also recorded their statements.
The SP said police are questioning the parents of the four accused persons who are at large. A manhunt has been launched by special police teams to nab the accused.
Sources said the ODRP colony was constructed to rehabilitate families residing in villages near the sea. Most of the houses in the colony are yet to be occupied and are lying abandoned, turning into safe havens for criminals.