2 tribal girls gang-raped in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj, 3 held

Two tribal girls were allegedly gang-raped by five men in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district when they were returning home along with their friends, police said on Saturday.

The incident happened on Wednesday night but came to light after a complaint was lodged by their parents at the Rasgovindpur police station on Friday, they said.

The girls, aged 13 and 14, had gone to a nearby village along with two boys to see a ‘jatra’ or theatre. While returning home, some young men intercepted their motorcycle and took the girls away after assaulting their friends, police said.

The girls, who are students of Classes 8 and 9, were allegedly raped by the five men, they added.

Police said three persons have been detained in connection with the incident, while a search is under way for the two others.

A case was lodged under various sections of the BNS and the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act.

The opposition BJD claimed that in the last 16 months, over 5,000 women have been raped in Odisha.

“The horrifying statistic reflects the deteriorating condition of women under the present BJP government in the state,” BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said.