A girl was allegedly gang-raped by her hockey coach and two of his associates earlier this month in Odisha's Jajpur district. She was raped on July 3. However, the matter came to the fore after she filed a complaint with the police.
On June 3, her coach, Sarthak, and his associates, Sandip and Sagar, allegedly kidnapped the girl from a road, took her to a lodge and sexually assaulted her.
The men also allegedly threatened to kill her if she revealed the incident to anyone.
The survivor has been training at the hockey stadium for the past two years.
All the accused have been detained.
As per the First Information Report or FIR, Sarthak, Sandip and Sagar have been charged under sections 70(2), 351(2), 74, 3(5) of BNS and section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The survivor's statement has been recorded before the district court, and legal proceedings are underway.
The incident has sparked outrage across the district, especially among sports and child rights communities, who have demanded strict action against the accused.
The case has raised serious concerns about safety protocols in sports training centres, particularly those involving minors.
Inputs by Dev Kumar Ghosh
