Bhubaneswar: A young couple was allegedly intercepted and assaulted by a group of villagers while returning from Kapilash, a prominent tourist destination in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district.
A video purportedly showing the incident is now circulating on social media. The video allegedly shows the woman being subjected to harassment during the episode, which took place on September 18. The video also captures the victim woman making repeated appeals to the culprits to let them leave. The group, however, allegedly continued its actions, according to the footage circulating online.
The incident caught attention as it surfaced days after a similar case in Bihar involving the harassment of a young man and woman that drew widespread outrage in the country.
Meanwhile, Dhenkanal Police acted swiftly after the incident came to their notice and arrested three persons allegedly involved in the incident on Tuesday.
“The complainant, along with her friends, on September 18, 2026, was returning from Kapilash at village Bhanragada under Sorisiapada Gram Panchayat, when the alleged accused Saroj Nayak, Samir Nayak and others, being intoxicated, abused and assaulted them,” said Dhenkanal Police in a statement.
The police also stated that after intervention of local gentries, the matter got sorted out at the spot. The cops, however, noted that when the couple proceeded again, the accused persons intercepted them once again and prepared videography of them.
Subsequently, the said video went viral on the social media platforms the next day (September 19). When the complainant came to know about this, she reported the matter at the Choudwar Police Station in Kataka district on September 21, urging the police to take legal action against the persons involved in it.
Following receipt of the Zero FIR from Choudwar Police Station, Gondia Police registered a case and arrested three accused persons, identified as Saroj Nayak (41), Samir Nayak (37) of village Bania and Sangram Rath alias Durga of Raipur village, under Gondia police station of Dhenkanal district.
A senior Dhenkanal district police officer said efforts were underway to arrest any other person involved in the incident.
(IANS)
