B.Tech dropout, out on bail in 2 cases – key accused in Odisha beach gangrape

The SP said they are trying to ascertain whether he and the other accused visited the beach frequently and have committed such offences earlier.

A B.Tech dropout from a private engineering college in Berhampur town, Nayak works at an electronics factory in Bengaluru at a monthly salary of Rs 20,000. He recently returned home on leave.

He and nine others went to take a dip in the sea on Sunday. Around 6 pm, they wandered to an isolated part of the beach, where the college student and a male friend also arrived around 6:30 pm.

The accused allegedly confronted the couple, after which three of them raped the woman while the others assaulted the man and kept him tied up until around 8 pm, police said.

Apart from Nayak, police say Baburam Dalai, 19, and Kunal Pradhan, 24, were involved in the rape.

“Nayak and Pradhan were trying to flee either to Bengaluru or Surat, where Laxman works in a power loom factory, after committing the crime. The police arrested them before they left their respective places,” said a senior police officer.

The Gopalpur police registered the case on Monday after the woman lodged a written complaint. The Berhampur SP said the woman and her friend are stable. Police have picked up 10 people, including four minors who are aged 17. Police officials said they intend to try them as adults.

The Crime Branch has taken up the investigation and is treating the case as a “red flag”, which needs increased and meticulous scrutiny.

Since the crime, the serene and sandy shores of Gopalpur have worn a deserted look. Gopalpur is a popular destination for tourists visiting the southern parts of Odisha. Though the beach stretches around 8 kilometres, only a one-kilometre stretch is crowded, while the rest is empty and dark after sunset.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has assured exemplary punishment to the culprits even as the Congress steps up protests against the incident.