Odisha Woman Gang-Raped In Jajpur forest; Two Arrested

Bhubaneswar: In a distressing incident from Odisha’s Jajpur district, a woman was allegedly ‘gang-raped’ by two men while grazing goats near Bhalukhai forest on Tuesday.

According to police sources, the survivor had ventured into the forest, located under the jurisdiction of Bairi police station, when she was allegedly waylaid and sexually assaulted by two local men. Following the incident, the woman filed a formal complaint, prompting police to launch an immediate investigation and arrange for her medical examination in accordance with legal procedure.

The accused, identified as Bhajaman Bhoi and Sananda Pihu — both residents of the same locality — were arrested within hours of the incident being reported.

While the exact motive remains under investigation, local residents have indicated that the survivor and the accused were known to each other. The heinous nature of the crime, however, has left the community deeply shaken.

Confirming the arrests, Ansumala Das, Inspector-in-Charge of Bairi police station, said: “The survivor has accused Bhajaman Bhoi and Sananda Pihu of gang-raping her in Bhalumara forest while she was out grazing goats. Acting on the complaint, we conducted a raid and apprehended the two accused.”

The police has registered a case and further investigation was underway to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.