Berhampur: In a horrific gang rape of a college student at Gopalpur sea beach in Odisha's Ganjam district, police collected samples of all accused persons for DNA test. 

A team of Crime Against Women (CAW) took the samples of all 10 accused including 4 juveniles and recovered fact-based evidence as well as objectionable materials and burnt cigarette from the crime spot. 

Initially, the samples of six accused persons were sent for DNA testing. 

According to reports, the CAW team will interrogate six accused persons in the first phase and the process to bring the juveniles for questioning will be made afterwards. 

The investigating team has recorded the audio and video statements of both the victim and accused persons. As per the red flag rule, the forensic evidence will be given priority for testing at the laboratory, police source said. 

The Berhampur police have arrested six people and detained four juveniles in connection with the sensational gang-rape of a college student at Gopalpur sea beach. 

The six persons were identified as Pramod Nayak, 23 of Purushottampur area, Kunal Pradhan, 24, of Bellagam Police limits and Baburam Dalai, 19, Lakman Pradhan, 24, Om Pradhan, 19, and Deepak Tarai, of Hinjili police station area.

All the juveniles detained in the case hail from Sikiri village in Hinjili Police limits.

Police said that prime accused, Pramod, a B.Tech drop out, currently working in an electronics factory in Bengaluru, had recently come home on leave. He was also involved in two more criminal cases in the past.

According to reports, on June 15, the 20-year-old victim, who is studying +3 in a Berhampur college, along with her classmate visited the Gopalpur beach at around 6.30 pm to celebrate the Raja festival. The couple found an isolated place behind a hotel on the beach and preferred to sit there. The accused persons were also sitting around 50 metres away from the spot. 

“At around 8 PM, the group of men came behind the couple and overpowered the male friend and dragged the woman around 50 feet away. Three accused persons (Pramod, Baburam and Kunal) raped the woman while seven others helped them by keeping the man and woman captive.

"They released the man and the victim at around 10 PM,” said the Berhampur Superintendent of Police Saravana Vivek M. 

The rapists and their accomplices while leaving the place also threatened the duo that they would face dire consequences if they filed any complaint with the police regarding the gang-rape.

The accused men also extorted money from the victim and her friend.

Later, the victim and her friend reached Gopalpur police station and narrated their ordeal at around 11 PM on Sunday night.

The IIC Gopalpur Police station and his team immediately formed a team and detained seven of the suspects initially and started interrogation.

Later three teams were formed to identify and detain the rest of the suspects.

Based on the complaint lodged by the victim, a case has been registered under Sections 70(1), 296, 351(3), and 310(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The SP asserted that the Odisha police will take all steps to ensure the rapists get the maximum punishment under the law, following their trial.

"As all the juveniles involved in the case are aged 17 years and this is a case of a heinous offence, we will pray to the Juvenile Justice Board to treat the juveniles as adults for the purpose of trial,” he added.