What Happened at Gopalpur Beach? Congress Team Investigates Shocking Gang-Rape Incident

A Congress fact-finding team, led by Deepa Dasmunshi, visited Gopalpur beach in Odisha following a disturbing gang-rape incident involving a college student. The team aims to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case, meet with the victim and law enforcement, and address the rising violence against women in the region. With ten arrests made, including minors, the team is pushing for accountability and safety measures in tourist areas. This incident has sparked widespread outrage and calls for action from various political leaders.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 21, 2025, 20:41 IST

Congress Team Visits Gopalpur Beach Following Disturbing Incident

Bhubaneswar/Berhampur: A prominent Congress fact-finding team, led by former AICC general secretary Deepa Dasmunshi, visited Gopalpur beach in Odisha's Ganjam district on Saturday. This visit was prompted by the alleged gang-rape of a 20-year-old college student by ten individuals.

The all-female team includes MPs Ranjeet Ranjan, Praniti Shinde, S Jothimani, and former Congress spokesperson Shobha Oza.

Their mission involves conducting an on-site investigation, engaging with the victim and her family, law enforcement, and other relevant parties, ultimately preparing a report for the AICC president.

In connection with the gang-rape incident, ten individuals, including four minors, have been apprehended. The assault reportedly occurred on the night of June 15 when the victim, an undergraduate student, visited the beach with her boyfriend to celebrate the Raja festival.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das stated, "The party is taking the recent surge in violence against women in Odisha very seriously, which is why we have sent a high-level fact-finding team. I have also reached out to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for a meeting with the team."

Das expressed hope that the Chief Minister would grant time for the team to meet.

While at Gopalpur, the team members engaged with locals to inquire about the frequency of police patrols in the area.

They also met with Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M to discuss both the Gopalpur gang-rape case and another incident involving the rape of two minor girls in the Golanthara area on June 5.

The SP informed the team that all suspects in both cases have been arrested.

"We visited the location where the gang-rape occurred on Gopalpur beach and noted the absence of safety measures for women, despite it being a popular tourist destination. We also plan to meet with President Droupadi Murmu," stated Rajya Sabha MP Ranjan, adding that the MPs intend to raise the issue in Parliament.

Ranjan highlighted that incidents of violence against women in Odisha are on the rise, with at least three gang-rape cases reported this week.

"When our MLAs requested the formation of a House committee to discuss this issue, the government ignored them and suspended them from the House," she remarked.

In a press conference held in Delhi, Odisha Pradesh Mahila Congress president Meenakshi Bahinipati and party MLA Sofia Firdous addressed the gang-rape cases.

Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi condemned the Gopalpur gang-rape case on social media, accusing the state's BJP government of negligence.

BJP's Ganjam district president Saroj Sabat stated that the government is treating the matter with utmost seriousness, with an IGP-ranked officer overseeing the investigations.

Senior BJD leader Chandra Sekhar Sahu, a former MP, noted that his party was the first to protest against the Gopalpur incident.

BJD president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik also condemned the crime, expressing concern over such a heinous act occurring in a tourist area.