Bhubaneswar: In a stark reminder of safety challenges women continue to face, a woman was allegedly gang raped by two men after being offered a lift in Tamando police limits of Bhubaneswar. Though the incident took place on March 28 night, it came to the fore after Commissionerate Police arrested two individuals in this connection. The accused duo was identified as Narayan Swain (31) and Bichitra Sahoo (34). Both were from Nayagarh district and working as ambulance drivers in AIIMS Bhubaneswar area.

As per reports, the survivor - a native of West Bengal - had recently moved to the Chandaka area to live with her husband, who works as a mason. On the fateful night, she left her home in anger following a domestic dispute and intended to return to West Bengal by train. While she was walking toward the station late at night, she was intercepted by one of the accused, Narayan Swain. Noticing she was alone, Swain gained her trust by warning her against traveling solo at such an hour and offered her a lift to the railway station on his motorcycle. However, instead of heading to the railway station, Swain took the victim to an abandoned house in the Ransinghpur area. There, he was joined by his accomplice Bichitra Sahoo.

A night of horror

The two men then allegedly confined the woman in the house overnight and subjected her to repeated sexual assault. They also threatened to kill her and leak photos and videos of the act if she reported the matter. The victim somehow managed to escape the premises and reached her husband, following which a formal complaint was lodged at the Tamando police station.

Upon receiving the complaint,Tamando Police formed a team and launched an investigation. After scanning CCTV footage from the route, officials identified the motorcycle used in the crime and later nabbed the two men.

Police confirmed the development and informed that samples from the crime scene have been collected by the scientific team and the survivor has undergone a medical examination. "Both accused have been arrested. They have been produced in court. Further investigation is underway," they said. 

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