Jajpur: Two men have been arrested for the alleged gangrape of a 32-year-old tribal woman in Jajpur district on Tuesday afternoon, making it the seventh sexual assault case in Odisha in under 20 days.
Those arrested have been identified as Bhajaman Bhoi and Sunanda Pihu.
According to the police, the incident took place when the woman was on her way to graze goats near Bhalukhai forest. The duo allegedly gagged and assaulted her before committing the crime. They also allegedly threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident. Both Bhoi and Pihu were arrested hours after the incident on the basis of a complaint by the survivor. They were then taken to the government hospital in Barachana for medical examinations.
Locals said the accused were known to the survivor.
Odisha has reported multiple cases of sexual violence since mid-June.
On July 1, a 22-year-old youth was arrested for allegedly raping a 11-year-old girl, his distant cousin, after tying up her hands and legs with a rope in Golanthara area of Ganjam district. The incident took place on June 30.
A 25-year-old woman, who was visiting her uncle in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, was allegedly gang-raped by three men at a deserted roadside dhaba on June 24 night. This came a day after a 17-year-old girl was allegedly drugged and raped by a clinic owner, promising her admission to a nursing college, in Berhampur on June 23.
On June 17, a 17-year-old girl was found hanging allegedly after being sexually assaulted by four persons in Keonjhar district.
On June 16 night, a 31-year-old woman was allegedly raped by four men known to her family after being abducted from her house under Baripada Sadar police limits.
On June 15, a college student was gangraped during a beach outing with a male friend at Gopalpur; 10 people were arrested.
Similarly, on the night of June 22, a 22-year-old student from New Delhi and her 20-year-old friend were allegedly molested and attacked by two men in Jajpur district when they were returning to their village after visiting a temple.
