A 19-year-old college student was allegedly gang-raped near Baliharchandi temple under Brahmagiri police limits in Odisha’s Puri district on Saturday. The assault took place while the woman and her male companion were spending time near the temple.
A group of local youths allegedly clicked photographs and recorded videos of them, before demanding money. When the couple refused, two members of the group raped the woman, while others tied up her companion, Puri Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh told PTI, citing the survivor’s FIR.
So far, three persons have been arrested, while efforts are on to trace others believed to be involved. The survivor underwent medical examination, police confirmed.
Puri Survivor Filed FIR After 2 Days
Although the incident happened on Saturday, the woman lodged her complaint at Brahmagiri police station only on Monday evening, after overcoming the initial trauma of the sexual assault, police informed.
The attack bears resemblance to another gang-rape that occurred on Gopalpur beach in Ganjam district on June 15, where ten accused were arrested.
Naveen Patnaik Condemns Incident
Former Odisha Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik expressed anguish over the reported gang-rape.
Deeply shocked and anguished to know a young girl has been gang raped near Maa Baliharachandi temple in Puri District, just 50km away from the state capital.
It is heart-rending to witness such horrifying patterns of violence against women reported across #Odisha. While the BJP…
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) September 16, 2025
Taking to social media, Patnaik wrote, “Deeply shocked and anguished to know a young girl has been gang raped near Maa Baliharachandi temple in Puri District, just 50km away from the state capital. It is heart-rending to witness such horrifying patterns of violence against women reported across Odisha…The BJP administration of Odisha has failed miserably to create confidence in the system where our daughters feel safe, valued and heard–leave aside empowerment…The sooner the BJP Govt takes the strongest action, women of Odisha will feel safe again.”
