Teen Gang-Raped In Front Of Friend Near Puri Beach
A teen student was allegedly gangraped by two men in front of her friend at a popular tourist spot, the Baliharichandi beach, in Puri on Saturday.
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The survivor was hesitant to file a report initially, authorities stated. (Representational)
Bhubaneswar:
Two men allegedly gang-raped a teenage student in the presence of her friend at the popular tourist destination Baliharichandi beach in Puri on Saturday.
According to reports, the survivor and her male companion visited Baliharichandi beach Saturday afternoon when the perpetrators began recording videos of them before attempting to demand money, which led to a confrontation. The complainant stated that the accused subsequently overpowered and assaulted her friend before sexually assaulting her.
Authorities reported that while the survivor was initially reluctant to report the incident, Puri Police encouraged her to file a complaint, which she did on Monday, resulting in the arrest of both suspects.
Naveen Patnaik, Former Chief Minister and Odisha's Opposition Leader, criticized the Odisha Government regarding women's safety in the state.
"Deeply shocked and anguished to know a young girl has been gang raped near Maa Baliharichandi temple in Puri District, just 50km away from the state capital. It is heart-rending to witness such horrifying patterns of violence against women reported across #Odisha," stated Mr Patnaik.
"While the BJP leaders engage in a theatrical display of concern, the predators prowl on broad daylight with impunity. The victims and family members of Gopalpur, Baleswar, Balanga and many other victims who died in desperation are still waiting for justice. Every time we heard the same rehearsed statements: 'people's government' is 'taking strict action', 'ensuring women's safety' and 'sparing no one'," Naveen Patnaik added.
Brahmagiri MLA Upasna Mohapatra told NDTV, "This is a deeply distressing incident, and I stand in complete solidarity with the survivor in her pursuit of justice. I appreciate the swift action taken by the Puri police, who acted on the victim's complaint and ensured the arrest of the accused named in the FIR within 24 hours."
"At the same time, this incident highlights the urgent need for stronger vigilance and better illumination in vulnerable areas. Concrete efforts are already underway to address these gaps so that such crimes can be prevented in the future," Mohapatra added.
(With inputs from Dev Kumar Ghosh)