Three Held in Puri Gangrape Case, Hunt On for Fourth Accused

Bhubaneswar : Three days after a college student was allegedly gangraped in front of her male friend at Baliharchandi beach in Odisha’s Puri district, police detained three youths for interrogation. The incident, which occurred on Saturday within Brahmagiri police limits, came to light after the survivor lodged a complaint on Monday.

Police identified two of the accused as Kalia Behera and Siba Sahu from Chandiput village. A fourth accomplice remains at large, with search operations underway to track him down.

According to reports, the survivor, a Plus Three second-year student, was at the beach with her male friend when four local youths confronted them. The accused filmed the duo, threatened to leak the videos, and extorted Rs 2,000 from the survivor’s friend. When he resisted, the gang tied him to a tree and took turns to rape the young woman in front of him. After the duo escaped, they were again attacked by the group before the assailants fled.

Initially hesitant, the survivor later narrated her ordeal to police. Her statement was recorded, and a medical examination was conducted as per procedure. Based on her complaint, police registered a case under Section 70 of BNS.

Police confirmed that three accused have been detained, and their mobile phones seized for forensic examination in Bhubaneswar. Efforts have been intensified to arrest the fourth accused.

The shocking incident has once again raised concerns over the safety of women at tourist hotspots in Odisha, drawing parallels with the Gopalpur gangrape case involving a 20-year-old student assaulted by 10 men.