NCW asks Odisha DGP to ensure swift probe into student's gang-rape at Gopalpur beach
The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Tuesday asked the Odisha director general of police (DGP) to conduct a swift and time-bound investigation into the gang rape of 20-year-old college student at the state's Gopalpur beach.
In a letter, NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar also asked Odisha DGP YB Khurania to ensure that compensation was paid to the rape survivor under Section 396 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita which requires states to come up with victim compensation schemes, and extend free medical and psychological support to the rape survivor.
'An Action Taken Report has been demanded within three days,' NCW said in a statement.
Police said the 10 accused including four juveniles have been taken into custody. The six adults have been identified as mastermind Pramod Nayak (23), Baburam Dalai (19), Kunal Pradhan (24), Om Pradhan (19), Lakman Pradhan(24), and Deepak Tarai (19).
Berhampur SP Vivek M Saravana said the police will ask the Juvenile Justice Board to allow the four minors to be tried as adults since they were 17 and are accused of participating in a heinous crime.
The rape survivor and her male friend, had gone to Gopalpur beach for Raja festival on Sunday evening and were at a secluded spot near Panthanivas Hotel at around 6.30 pm.
'Around 8 pm, the accused confronted the couple and tried to extort money from them. They claimed to have shot the couple's photos and threatened to circulate them if they reported anything to the police. When the couple pleaded to let them go, five of them overpowered the girl while others tied up her friend's hands. Three of them then dragged the girl around 30 metres away and then took turns to rape her while seven others kept an eye.
A local police team on an All Terrain Vehicle passed by the area but the accused had gagged the woman. 'The cops could not hear her,' Saravana said.
The woman and her male friend reached the Gopalpur police station at about 11pm and reported the incident. The woman was reluctant to file a formal complaint over concerns that her identity would be revealed.
The SP said she agreed to lodge the first information report (FIR) on Monday evening after much persuasion.
Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida, who also holds the Women and Child Development portfolio, said she had ordered a thorough probe. 'All necessary steps will be taken to ensure justice and prevent such incidents in the future,' she said.
Leader of the Opposition and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik described the incident as 'deeply shocking.'
'The gang-rape at Gopalpur, a major tourist destination, has shaken the conscience of the state. It raises serious concerns about women's safety in public places. The government must act decisively,' he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Job racket busted in Lucknow; 9 held for running fake call centres
LUCKNOW The Lucknow Police on Tuesday busted a job racket with the arrest of nine people, including four women, for allegedly running fake call centres that defrauded job seekers by posing as recruiters. They promised jobs in top companies, mostly airlines, IT and automobile companies, to extort money and vanished after issuing forged appointment letters. 'The joint operation by the southern surveillance cell, Cyber Crime Cell, and police teams from Banthra and Sarojini Nagar police stations led to back-to-back raids at two locations, one in Azad Bihar Colony and another near the Outer Ring Road underpass. A large cache of laptops, mobile phones, forged documents and digital evidence was seized,' said DCP (south) Nipun Agarwal. 'The gang was operating well-structured call centres that targeted unemployed youth across several states. They would impersonate HR personnel of reputed companies, conduct fake interviews over calls, and send forged appointment letters in exchange for money,' said Agarwal. 'Over a hundred people are estimated to have been duped. Investigations are underway to identify all victims and trace the financial links,' he added. Explaining the gang's modus operandi, the DCP said it involved luring victims through phone calls, WhatsApp messages, and emails with promises of lucrative jobs. Once a candidate was hooked, they were asked to transfer money on the pretext of processing fees or training charges. The victims would then receive fake offer letters featuring logos and signatures of well-known firms, after which all contact would be severed. 'The suspects arrested from Azad Bihar Colony were identified as Ajay Pratap Singh, Amit Singh, Santosh Kumar, Brushali Singh and Aarti Singh. Four others - Kuldeep Singh, Priyanka Kashyap, Shalu Vishwakarma and Anchal Sharma - were caught operating out of a commercial unit in Sarojini Nagar under the name Sky Net Enterprises,' the police stated in a release. The police said two more suspects, Sandeep Singh and Santosh, were absconding and efforts were on to trace them. 'FIRs have been registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, and forensic analysis of the seized gadgets is in progress,' said police. The DCP said the callers at the centre were hired on a salary of ₹8000 to 10000 a month. Fraudsters used to procure candidates' data from a Noida-based portal for ₹15,000 a month and made calls after shortlisting 100 CVs daily. Callers used to take money in the name of job and police verification. After this, they used to send fake call letters. 'The gang created an illusion of legitimacy as they even had scripts, call lists, and templates ready. The victims genuinely believed they had landed jobs at major firms,' a senior officer from the surveillance cell said.
India Today
3 hours ago
- India Today
Naxals strangle three villagers to death in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur
Three villagers were allegedly killed by Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Tuesday evening. The victims were strangled with attack appears to be an attempt by Naxalites to spread fear among locals, officials said. Police have launched an investigation to verify the details and confirm the identities of those attack comes even as security forces make significant gains in dismantling the Maoist movement, especially in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, once the epicentre of Left-Wing 'The Maoist movement is in its final days. Their leadership is disjointed and demoralised. Only 300 armed cadres remain in the Dandakaranya zone who must surrender or prepare for a decisive war,' said Bastar Inspector General of Police Sundarraj to Sundarraj, the top Maoist decision-making body, the Central Committee, has not met in years, forcing the remaining four Politburo members to take charge, most of whom are old, in hiding, or DGP and Naxal expert RK Vij added, 'The ideological vacuum is glaring. Maoist leadership has shifted from revolutionary rhetoric to criminality.'Earlier this month, a major breakthrough came when security forces killed Central Committee member Sudhakar, who carried a Rs 40 lakh reward on his head, during an encounter in Bijapur's National Park area. His death followed the neutralisation of CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao, also known as Basavaraju, in the dense Abujhmad a veteran of the Maoist movement since the late 1970s, had a Rs 1.5 crore bounty and was wanted for several deadly attacks across multiple to his death, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had called the operation "a landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism.' He said, 'It was the first time in three decades of Bharat's battle against Naxalism that a general secretary-ranked leader has been neutralised by our forces.'The government's aggressive anti-Naxal push has led to 253 encounters across the Bastar Range between 2023 and June 9, 2025, with 429 Maoists killed — including 192 this year alone. A total of 1,812 Maoists have surrendered or been arrested, and 916 IEDs and 606 weapons have been recovered.'The fight isn't over until the ideology is rejected in every corner. But this is the closest we've come to ending the insurgency,' Sundarraj InMust Watch
India Today
3 hours ago
- India Today
Karnataka woman detained for burning toddler son's hands, legs with hot iron rod
A woman in Karnataka's Dharwad district has been detained for allegedly inflicting severe burn injuries on her three-year-old son as punishment for what she described as 'mischievous' behaviour. The incident occurred on Monday in Old Hubballi to police, the woman, identified as 34-year-old Anusha Hulimara, reportedly used a hot iron rod to burn the child's hands, legs and neck. Police sources said the woman became enraged at the child's behaviour and resorted to the extreme act, allegedly believing that such punishment would stop the boy from crying or misbehaving in the child's screams reportedly alerted nearby residents, who rushed to the house and intervened. Shocked by the condition of the child and the injuries inflicted, the neighbours immediately contacted the police. Officials from the Old Hubballi Police Station arrived at the scene and took the woman into custody. A case has been registered under the Juvenile Justice Act and Section 118 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, following a complaint filed by the Women and Child Welfare a widely circulated video, the child is seen with visible scald marks on his limbs and face. He is heard telling people that his mother burned him, prompting widespread suspect the incident was influenced by blind faith and lack of awareness. Local police said some in the area continue to believe that punishing a child physically for crying or creating disturbances, especially at night, helps control such behaviour. Officials from the Child Welfare Department have been asked to step in to ensure the safety and care of the child, who is currently under medical investigation into the incident is ongoing. IN THIS STORY#Karnataka
