ROURKELA: Birmitrapur police in Sundargarh district on Thursday arrested four youths including a juvenile on charges of gang-raping two minor girls during the Ganesh Puja festival.
The accused are Alex Minz (19), Manjit Minz (19), Bandhana Xalxo (21), all ITI pass-outs, and a 17-year-old who used to work as a migrant worker in Surat, Gujarat.
The crime came to light on Wednesday night after the family members of the girls lodged complaints with the police.
Birmitrapur IIC Ram Prasad Nag said the girls, aged 15 and 16 years, were walking back to their village after attending Ganesh Puja celebration on September 14. At around 9 pm, the accused, riding three motorcycles, allegedly intercepted them and offered them lift.
Nag said the unsuspecting girls agreed following which, the accused took them to a secluded playground and sexually assaulted them. When the girls raised alarm, locals rushed to the spot and the accused fled. Police said the girls are school drop-outs.
The two girls and the accused were taken for medical examination. While Alex, Manjit and Bandhana were forwarded to the POCSO court in Sundargarh town, the minor was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board.
In a separate incident, an unidentified woman with assault injuries was rescued from Sector 2 area of Rourkela on Wednesday.
Local residents, who rescued the victim, claimed that the woman was assaulted and raped. She was apparently homeless and seen roaming in the area for the past few days.
Deputy SP (DSP) of Zone-1 Manoranjan Pradhan said the woman is around 25 years old and her identity is yet to be ascertained. “She is mentally unstable and not able to exactly narrate what happened to her. She is under treatment and medical examination would be conducted to ascertain the possibility of sexual assault. A case has been registered and investigation is underway,” the DSP added.
