A 15-year-old girl from Malkangiri district of Odisha was allegedly gang-raped by three men and then raped again by a truck driver in a separate incident, Hindustan Times reported.
The three men and the driver were arrested on Tuesday. They were identified as Manoj Harijan, Rohit Kumar Hial, Bira Bhartia, and driver Sobham Singh.
According to the report, the girl was on her way home on Sunday evening after attending a friend's birthday party when three men allegedly abducted her, took her to a place nearly 15 to 20 km from Malkangiri town, and gang raped her. The girl was trying to come back home when a truck driver picked her up on Malkangiri-Jeypore highway at Bijaghati and sexually assaulted her.
Hearing her screams, locals rushed to the spot and caught the driver, police were quoted by HT as saying. Malkangiri SP Vinodh Patil was quoted as saying: "Four people, including the truck driver, have been arrested."
Based on the complaint of the minor's family members, police registered a case against the accused under several sections, including 70 (2) (gang rape), of BNS and section 6 of POCSO Act, the report added.
Following the incident, former CM Naveen Patnaik took to X and wrote, "A disturbing wave of crimes against women is gripping Odisha... This surge in sexual assaults reflects a troubling erosion of law enforcement. When the various ranks of the police face interference and political pressure, accountability weakens-and women and girls pay the price first."
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.
Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.
