15-year-old gangraped in Odisha's Jajpur, four detained

A 15-year-old girl has been allegedly raped by four persons, including her two hockey coaches, in Odisha's Jajpur district, police said on Monday. The incident comes close on the heels of a 20-year-old student's suicide by self-immolation in Balasore in protest against sexual harassment at the hands of a professor, and the setting ablaze of another 15-year-old in Puri district by a group of men.

On 15 June, a 20-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped late in the evening by a gang of 10 on the famed Gopalpur beach in Ganjam district, sparking outrage.

Though the incident occurred on 3 July evening, it came to light only after the victim filed a complaint at Jajpur town police station on Monday, the police said.

Acting on the complaint, Jajpur town police have detained four persons, including the two hockey coaches, for their alleged involvement in the incident, a police officer said.

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According to the complaint, the minor has been undergoing training at the Jajpur hockey stadium in the district headquarters town for the past two years.

On the evening of 3 July, as the girl was going home, her coach and his two associates allegedly abducted her from the street, took her to a lodge and sexually assaulted her, the complaint said.

The perpetrators of the crime had allegedly threatened to murder the victim if she revealed the incident to anyone, the complaint alleged.

Based on the complaint, police have registered a case under relevant sections of BNS and section 6 (rape) of the POCSO Act.

The survivor’s statement has been recorded before the district court, and legal proceedings are underway, the police officer said.

Jajpur superintendent of police Yash Pratap Shrimal said, "Four persons have been detained in connection with the incident and further investigation is underway."

With PTI inputs