Cuttack: What began as a birthday celebration at a local cafe turned into a horrific ordeal for a 19-year-old girl, who was first deceived and then sexually assaulted by her male friend and his accomplices.
The girl was invited by her acquaintance to celebrate her birthday at a cafe during the Dussehra holiday. Little did she know the celebration would lead to weeks of trauma and exploitation.
“The accused filmed intimate moments with the girl with help from the cafe owner, and later used the obscene videos to blackmail and rape her several times,” said Jagmohan Meena, DCP (Cuttack). “The male acquaintance and his friends took her to a house, where they gang-raped her and continued to blackmail her, calling her to different locations.”
Police arrested six persons, including a juvenile, in connection with the crime on Thursday. The accused have been identified as Sushil Prasad (24), Papul Behera (19), Asutosh Behera (18), Pitabas Sahoo (19) and Somya Ranjan Sahoo (23), and the minor aged 16.
A case was registered on Nov 4. While three of the accused were arrested on Nov 5, three others were apprehended on Nov 6. Their mobile phones have been seized and sent to State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) for examination. Police didn’t disclose who among the accused was her acquaintance.
The incident has sparked a political row over women’s safety in the state. Sofia Firdous, Congress MLA of Barabati-Cuttack, said, “If such heinous crimes can occur in a crowded area in the city, it raises serious questions about women’s safety.”
Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan assured strict action against the accused. “BJP govt has zero tolerance towards women-related crimes and is committed to making Odisha a crime-free state for women by 2036,” he said.
Police are probing the possibility of more accomplices in the crime.
The cafe where the initial crime occurred has been sealed by the police. DCP Meena said all necessary precautions are being taken to prevent the circulation of the recorded videos and ensure a thorough investigation. State Commission for Women has sought a report on the incident from police.