A woman was sexually assaulted by a group of men and two suspects have been apprehended.

During the Maghe festival in the Bileipada area under Joda police limits in Keonjhar district, a shocking incident took place where a woman was allegedly gang-raped by two individuals. The news came to light when the police arrested the two suspects on Tuesday. The suspects have been identified as Sukalal Munda from Bileipada and Basudev Gagrai from Sialjoda area, as shared by Barbil SDPO Debendra Nath Pingua during a media briefing held in the district.

According to the police, the survivor had visited the Maghe festival at Bhagalpur village in Bileipada with her children on February 20. Later in the evening, around 9pm, Basudev offered to drop her and her children home on his motorcycle. However, instead of taking her home, he stopped near a Mahua tree by the road in Gobardhanpur village, where he allegedly raped her.

To make matters worse, Sukalal also arrived at the spot and took advantage of the helpless woman. The suspects also threatened to harm her and her children if she dared to speak about the incident to anyone. Fearing for her safety and that of her children, the woman remained silent and went back home.

It was only a few days later when her husband noticed some injuries on her cheek that she finally opened up and shared the horrific incident with him. The couple then filed a written complaint at the Joda police station on March 3, seeking justice for the heinous crime committed against the woman. Based on their complaint, the police took immediate action and arrested the suspects.

They were later produced in court and remanded to judicial custody, as confirmed by the SDPO. This incident has shocked the entire community and has raised concerns about the safety of women, especially during festivals. The police have assured that they will take strict action against the perpetrators and ensure that justice is served.

Orissa POST, Odisha's No.1 English Daily, will continue to provide updates on the progress of this case.