Shocking Gopalpur Incident: College Student Assaulted and Extorted by Gang

Details of the Gopalpur Assault Case

Bhubaneswar: Investigators revealed that the ten individuals accused of raping a college student in Gopalpur on June 15 also extorted ₹1,000 from both the victim and her male companion following the assault.

The main suspect, a 23-year-old B Tech dropout, had traveled from Bengaluru, where he was employed in a factory, and was out on bail for a previous attempted murder charge.

This gang rape incident has ignited widespread outrage across the nation and is currently under investigation by the CID Crime Branch. The local police had previously apprehended all ten suspects, including four minors.

On Thursday, a CID team, led by the IG of the Crime Against Women and Children Wing, S Shyni, revisited the crime scene for further investigation.

Authorities reported that the team gathered various pieces of evidence, including sand samples, cigarette butts, and other materials linked to the accused and the 20-year-old victim.

Plans are underway to collect DNA samples from all ten suspects, who reside in three different villages across two police jurisdictions.

The male companion of the victim, who is the sole eyewitness, was also interrogated, with his statement recorded in both audio and video formats.

The Crime Against Women and Children Wing has provided counseling to the victim as well.

It has been alleged that three individuals took turns assaulting her while the others restrained her male companion.

According to police, the ages of the ten arrested individuals range from 17 to 24 years, with the primary suspect having a history of criminal activity.

Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M identified the main suspect as Pramod Nayak, who is from a village under the Purusottampur police jurisdiction. He had returned home on leave from his job at an electronics factory near Bengaluru.

Nayak, who was previously out on bail for an attempted murder case, was also implicated in a bomb-making incident registered at the Purusottampur police station.

On June 15, Nayak reportedly invited his friends to Gopalpur. After arriving on three motorcycles around 3:30 PM, they swam in the sea and moved to a secluded area at 6 PM, just half an hour before the couple arrived.

The assault occurred around 8 PM, during which the accused attacked the male companion and raped the woman.

Following the assault, the perpetrators extorted ₹1,000 from the survivor and her friend through cash and UPI transactions.

In a related development, police have requested that the Juvenile Justice Board treat the four minors involved in the crime as adults during the trial.