Rourkela: A girl was allegedly raped by three men in a forest in Odisha’s Sundergarh district, police said Tuesday.
The three accused were arrested in the alleged gang rape that took place Monday night in Talsara area when the minor was returning home around 10 PM along with her two friends after attending a community feast, a senior officer said.
As per a preliminary investigation, Sundargarh SP Pratyush Diwaker said the girls got scared on noticing a four-wheeler following them and hid themselves near a bush.
However, they found two youths, familiar to them, passing through the road on a motorcycle and asked them for help.
All five, including the three girls, rode the two-wheeler and tried to escape from the place, but they were intercepted by the accused persons in the car, the officer said.
“All of them fell from the motorcycle. The two men and two girls managed to escape from the spot, but another girl was forcibly taken into the four-wheeler. They fled the spot. Her friends informed the villagers about the incident,” the officer said, quoting an FIR.
Sundergarh SDPO Nirmal Chandra Mohapatra said that the girl was taken in the forest and three men allegedly raped her.
They left the girl on an isolated road near her village, he said.
On Tuesday morning, villagers and the victim’s family lodged an FIR at Talsara police station, and a case was registered, he said.
“Fortunately, one of the victim’s friends recalled the registration number of the vehicle and three accused were arrested,” Mohapatra said.
The preliminary investigation revealed that the girl was sexually assaulted, the SDPO said, adding that strong action will be taken against the accused.
Of the three accused, one was claimed to be a juvenile, the officer said.
“The verification of his actual age is underway. The accused persons have past criminal records,” he said, adding that the medical examination of the victim has been completed.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) formed a fact-finding team to inquire into the Talsara gang rape case.
The Congress team will be headed by its Rajgangpur MLA CS Raazen Ekka.
