Odisha gang rape case: Four minors among ten nabbed at Gopalpur beach

A 20-year-old college student was gang-raped by ten people, including four minors, at Gopalpur beach in Odisha’s Ganjam district. The accused overpowered her boyfriend and assaulted her during the Raja festival.

Bhubaneswar/Berhampur: Ten people, including four minors, were apprehended on Tuesday in connection with the gang rape of a 20-year-old woman at the famed Gopalpur beach in Odisha, police said.

The incident happened on Sunday night when the woman, an undergraduate student at a private college, went to the beach along with her boyfriend, who is a classmate, on the occasion of the Raja festival, they said.

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The woman, in her complaint lodged at the Gopalpur police station, alleged that when they were sitting at an isolated place on the beach, a group of 10 people approached them, rounded up her boyfriend and took turns to rape her.

“Initially, seven people were detained for interrogation. Later, all 10 accused were arrested,” a police officer told PTI. The accused were nabbed while they were trying to flee to another state, he said.

SP Saravana Vivek M said, “While three people raped the woman in turns, seven others were providing them protection.” “A special police team has been formed to probe the case. Police will request the court to treat the minors as adults as they were involved in a heinous crime,” he said.

Medical examination of the survivor has been conducted, he added. Police said the survivor lived in a private mess along with three other women. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida said she has spoken to the SP and has ordered a thorough investigation, besides necessary steps to ensure that such incidents do not happen in the future.

The incident sent shockwaves across the state as tourists from far-off places visit the beach in the Ganjam district. Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik termed the incident “deeply shocking”. “The news of the gang rape at Gopalpur beach, a major tourist destination in Odisha, is deeply shocking and has left everyone shaken. It is strongly condemned. The safety of women in tourist destinations has been questioned,” he said.

“The government should be vigilant in preventing the increasing atrocities against women every day. The government should take strict steps to ensure the safety and security of women in the state,” he added. Congress MLA Sofia Firdous said she was “shaken” by the incident.

“What happened to a 20-year-old college student at Gopalpur Beach is beyond horrifying. She was brutally gang-raped by 10 men — her male friend was tied up and left helpless. This isn’t just a crime; it’s a chilling reflection of the complete collapse of law and order in our state,” she said.

Firdous alleged that the state government has failed to protect the people. “The BJP government must be held accountable for the erosion of public safety under its watch. As a woman, I refuse to stay silent. No delay. No mercy. The guilty must face the harshest punishment. To the survivor: You are not alone. We will not let this be forgotten,” she said.