College student gangraped, her male friend tied up during visit to Odisha’s Gopalpur beach

A case was registered on Monday on the basis of a complaint filed by the rape survivor. The case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 70, which deals with the offence of gangrape.

Police have formed a special team to expedite the investigation and arrest all those responsible for the crime, officers said. A police team has already visited the scene of the crime.

“The victim is a college student from a nearby district and had been staying at a private mess in Berhampur. She went to the beach with a male friend, who is also her classmate. Both of them sat at an isolated place on the beach. A group of 10 people, who were also sitting on the beach, approached the couple,” said a senior police officer.

The officer said that while some of the accused persons allegedly dragged the woman’s friend to a distance and tied him up, the others took turns to rape her.

Berhampur Superintendent of Police Saravana Vivek M confirmed that a case had been registered and seven people were detained. “We are interrogating the accused persons. They will be arrested soon,” said the SP.

Police said medical tests will be conducted on Tuesday as part of the investigation.

Gopalpur in Ganjam district is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Odisha, with its beach attracting visitors from different parts of the state and country.