3 men dump 15-yr-old Odisha girl after gang-rape, then truck driver rapes her

The girl was abducted when she was returning from a friend’s birthday party late on Sunday and taken about 10-15 km from Malkangiri town

Updated on: Jul 22, 2025, 22:50:48 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar: A 15-year-old school girl returning home from a friend’s birthday party in south Odisha’s Malkangiri was abducted by three men and raped on Sunday evening, police said on Tuesday.

Malkangiri superintendent of police (SP) Vinodh Patil said four persons involved in the crime have been arrested. (Representational Photo)

The traumatised girl was trying to come back home when a truck driver picked her up on Malkangiri-Jeypore highway at Bijaghati and sexually assaulted her. She was eventually rescued by some local people and filed a police complaint.

The four suspects, including the truck driver, have been arrested, police said on Tuesday.

Also read: Odisha man out on bail in child sex abuse case, commits same crime again

The girl, a resident of Malkangiri Sadar block, had gone to attend a birthday party of her friend. While she was coming back home late on Sunday, she was abducted by three individuals and taken to a place 10 to 15 kilometres from Malkangiri town. The three allegedly tortured and took turns to rape her.

Malkangiri superintendent of police (SP) Vinodh Patil said four persons involved in the crime, including the truck driver, have been arrested. They are Manoj Harijan, Rohit Kumar Hial, Bira Bhartia and driver Sobham Singh.

Also read: Ex-hockey coach among 3 arrested for gang-rape of 15-year-old girl in Odisha

Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik said the rise in sexual assaults against women in the state was horrifying.

“A disturbing wave of crimes against women is gripping Odisha... This surge in sexual assaults reflects a troubling erosion of law enforcement. When the various ranks of the police face interference and political pressure, accountability weakens—and women and girls pay the price first. Adding to this concern, the US government last month issued a Level 2 travel advisory that listed Odisha among six Indian states where American employees must seek special approval to travel beyond capital cities. Without urgent and decisive police action and political will backing it, this problem will only grow. The BJP government must act immediately to restore safety and rebuild women’s trust in the system sworn to protect them. BJD will continue to raise its voice for the protection of our mothers and sisters in every forum,” he said in a post on X.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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