Girl Flees Andhra To Escape Sex Abuse By Stepfather, Gang-raped In Odisha

A 17-year-old girl from Andhra Pradesh who had fled her home following alleged sexual abuse by her stepfather was reportedly drugged and sexually assaulted in Berhampur, Odisha, on the night of March 29. Police have arrested two men and sent a juvenile to a reformation facility in connection with the case.

The survivor is from Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh. According to police, she had been living with her stepfather after the death of her father, and fled home to escape what she described as physical and sexual harassment. On March 24, she boarded the Prashanti Express and travelled to Berhampur, where she wandered on platform number 4 of the railway station before finding work at a tea stall. There, she befriended a 15-year-old local boy.

On March 29, the minor boy took the girl to meet two of his friends. Initial investigations suggest that both the girl and the boy were given drinks laced with a sedative, causing them to lose consciousness. The two adult accused raped the minor girl while she was unconscious.

The following morning, locals found the girl in a distressed state and alerted the police. Officers from Gosaninuagaon police station reached the spot, recorded her statement and launched an investigation under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act.

Berhampur Superintendent of Police Saravana Vivek M said, "Police received information yesterday that a girl was in a certain location and had been subjected to abuse. Gosaninuagaon police went to the spot and rescued the girl. When the girl was interrogated, it was revealed that she is from the Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh. She states her age is 17 years and 8 months. Four days ago, she boarded a train, Prashanti Express, in Kadapa district and came to Berhampur," he said.

The two accused have been identified as Arjun Nayak, 22, and Aditya Nayak, 19, both residents of Lanjipalli, Berhampur. They have been arrested. The 15-year-old boy has been detained and sent to a juvenile reformation facility. The case has been registered under Section 70(2)/75 of the BNS and Sections 6 and 8 of the POCSO Act.

Police have also filed a separate case against the survivor's stepfather in Andhra Pradesh, based on her allegations of prior abuse.

(With inputs from Dev Kumar)