Berhampur, June 17: Police on Tuesday arrested 10 youths for their alleged involvement in the gang-rape of a woman on Gopalpur beach in Odisha's Ganjam district.
All the accused are from the Hinjili area of the district and were arrested after a formal complaint was filed with the police.
According to reports, the woman and her male friend had gone to Gopalpur beach on Monday to celebrate the Raja festival. Around 8:30 pm, while they were sitting in a secluded spot on the beach, a group of about 10 men approached them. The group showed the couple photos they had secretly taken and extorted Rs 1,000 from them.
The group then demanded more money through digital payment and threatened to make the photos go viral if the couple didn’t agree. When the couple pleaded with them to stop, the attackers tied up the woman’s friend and thrashed him.
The couple’s ordeal did not end there as three of miscreants then allegedly took turns and gang-raped the woman in-front of her male friend.
Following the complaint, Gopalpur police registered a case and launched a probe into the matter. Sources revealed that three of the accused attempted to escape to another state but were caught by the police.
Initially, seven suspects were detained for questioning. A further investigation led to the arrest of all those involved.
Officials confirmed that the survivor has undergone a medical examination and that the investigation is still ongoing.
