Girl fleeing sexual abuse by stepfather in Andhra gang-raped in Odisha

Berhampur/Bhubaneswar (Odisha): A 17-year-old girl fleeing sexual abuse by her stepfather in Andhra Pradesh was allegedly drugged and raped by two persons in Odisha, police said on Tuesday.

Odisha Police arrested two persons and took a boy into custody in connection with the incident.

The girl was allegedly drugged and raped by two men in Berhampur city on March 29, an officer said, adding that a police team rescued her after receiving information from locals.

Berhampur Superintendent of Police Saravana Vivek M said that three persons were taken to custody, of whom two adults of 23 years and 19 years were arrested, while a 15-year-old boy was sent to a juvenile home.

Apart from a gang rape case under various sections, including provisions of the POCSO Act, the police have also registered another case against the survivor's stepfather in Andhra Pradesh for alleged sexual abuse that prompted her to run away from home, police said.

During the investigation, police found out that the girl, a native of Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh, had fled her home and reached Berhampur railway station aboard Prashanti Express on March 24 to escape sexual abuse by her stepfather.

She told the police that her mother had remarried after the death of her father, and the stepfather used to sexually abuse her.

After arriving at Berhampur, she spent some time at a platform and later found work at a nearby tea stall. There, she befriended a local boy, who took her to meet his friends on March 29.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the girl was offered a drink spiked with sedatives following which she lost consciousness. Later, the two adults allegedly raped her while the minor boy assisted them. Later, she was found by local people, who informed the police.

The survivor was produced before the District Child Welfare Committee and her medical examination was conducted. She was lodged in a child care home as per the directions of the CWC, police said.

The incident came to the fore a day after Bhubaneswar Police arrested two ambulance drivers on the charge of raping a 21-year-old woman from neighbouring West Bengal.

Opposition BJD, meanwhile, came down heavily on the state's BJP government and expressed concern over the rising incidents of rape in the state.

Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, BJD general secretary Sumitra Jena alleged that women in Odisha have become extremely unsafe after the BJP assumed power in the state.

Quoting a recent reply of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the assembly, the BJD leader said that 48,798 cases of crimes against women were registered in the state in just 18 months (from July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025).

Of these, 4,292 rape cases were registered. At present, Odisha under the BJP ranks first in the country in cases of crimes against women, while Maharashtra stands second, Jena added.