A 15-year-old girl was abducted and gang raped on her way back home from a birthday party, only to be sexually assaulted again by a driver who offered her a lift after she escaped.
Police say the girl was initially taken by three men on Sunday in south Odisha’s Malkangiri, India, and driven 10 to 15 kilometres from the town, where she was allegedly tortured and raped.
After fleeing, she attempted to return home and was picked up by a truck driver on the Malkangiri-Jeypore highway at Bijaghati.
But her ordeal was far from over when the man reportedly raped her as well.
Residents are said to have rescued the girl after spotting her with the driver. She later reported the incident to the police.
The teenager’s parents had lodged a missing persons report after she failed to return home from the party.
Four suspects have been arrested and identified as Manoj Harijan, Rohit Kumar Hial, Bira Bhartia, and the driver, Sobham Singh, who local media reports is 26 years old.
Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Vinodh Patil said: ‘All four persons involved in the crime have been arrested.’
Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik condemned the incident and warned about the uptick in violence against women in the area.
Cops in India say all four suspects have been arrested as the investigation continues
The girl was initially taken by three men in south Odisha’s Malkangiri, India, and driven 10 to 15 kilometres from the town, where she was allegedly tortured and raped
He said: ‘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.’
He also spoke about how the area has been added to a list of places where American employees must seek approval before travelling.
‘Without urgent and decisive police action and political will backing it, this problem will only grow’, he added.
