Bhubaneswar: In a shocking incident, a 17-year-old girl from Andhra Pradesh who ran away from home to escape alleged sexual abuse by her stepfather was drugged and gang-raped by two men in Berhampur city on March 29, police said on Tuesday.
Odisha Police acted swiftly and arrested two adult accused aged 23 and 19 years. A 15-year-old boy was also detained and sent to a juvenile home in connection with the case. According to police, the girl, a resident of Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh, fled her home after her stepfather repeatedly sexually abused her following her mother’s remarriage after her father’s death.
She boarded the Prashanti Express and reached Berhampur railway station on March 24.After spending some time at the station platform, she found temporary work at a nearby tea stall. There, she befriended a local boy who later took her to meet his friends on March 29.Preliminary investigation revealed that the girl was offered a drink laced with sedatives, causing her to lose consciousness. The two adult accused then allegedly raped her while the minor boy assisted them. Local residents later spotted the distressed girl and informed the police, who rescued her promptly.
Berhampur Superintendent of Police Saravana Vivek M said three persons were taken into custody. Apart from the gang-rape case registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the POCSO Act, police have also registered a separate case against the girl’s stepfather in Andhra Pradesh for the alleged sexual abuse that forced her to flee home.
The survivor was produced before the District Child Welfare Committee (CWC). She underwent medical examination and has been placed in a child care home as per CWC directions.
