The Commissionerate Police on Saturday arrested four youths for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old city college girl in the Bhapur forest area of Nayagarh district a day before the Valentines Day.
The accused were identified as Santosh Panigrahi (25) alias Mitu, Daka Jena (25) alias Bapi, Bhaskar Sahoo (26) alias lipu and Sadananda Bharatiya (22) alias Sonu, all from Kurala village in Nayagarh district. They have been booked under Sections 376 (D), 294, 506, 307, 363 and 342 of the IPC.
The matter came to light after the victim, a Plus II student of a leading college hailing from outside the State, lodged a complaint on Friday night at the Mahila police station here.
According to Mahila police station IIC Sarojini Nayak, main accused Santosh who is pursuing his MCA degree in a private engineering college and staying at Bhimtangi area under the lingaraj police limits, had developed love affair with the girl a few weeks ago. The relationship began through chatting over phone and a social networking site, Nayak said.
A day before the Valentine’s Day, Santosh called the girl and took her to his village in his bike. After visiting his village, the accused took the victim to nearby Bhapur forest, apparently for sight-seeing.
Without the knowledge of the girl, Santosh had asked three of his friends, Daka, Bhaskar and Sadananda, to follow him in a car. They had already drawn up a blueprint to commit the crime.
By the time the girl got to know about the evil design of the accused, she had already been in trap of the four. They gang-raped her and later, dropped her at Jayadev Vihar near her hostel. While dropping the girl, they had threatened her of dire consequence if she informed to the police about the incident, the IIC said.
Twin City Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma said the police have seized the bike and the car used by the culprits. “We have sent the four youths to the Capital Hospital for mandatory medical examination,” Sharma said, adding, “The victim has also been subjected to medical examination.”