A 19-year-old female college student was allegedly gang-raped near a beach in the Puri district of Odisha, according to police reports on Monday.
Three persons have been arrested in connection with the crime, and a search is underway for other suspects who were allegedly involved.
The incident occurred near the Baliharchandi temple in the Brahmagiri police station area of Puri district on around Saturday afternoon. The woman and her male friend had gone to a spot near the temple when a group of local youths approached them. The group took photos and videos and demanded money from them.
Puri Superintendent of Police (SP) Prateek Singh said that the survivor’s FIR lodged at Brahmagiri Police Station states that when she and her friend refused to pay, two people from the group raped her.
Other members of the group reportedly tied up her male companion before the assault, police said.
Although the incident happened on Saturday, the victim filed the FIR on Monday evening after recovering from the trauma. The woman has undergone a medical examination, the SP said.
A similar incident took place in Ganjam earlier in June. The rape took place on Gopalpur beach on June 15. Ten persons were arrested in connection with that gang-rape.
