Odisha girl jumps off roof to escape gang-rape bid, injured

A girl has suffered critical injuries after jumping off the roof of a school building in Odisha’s Jajpur district in a bid to escape a rape attempt by five men, police said.

The five accused, who had advised the girl and her brother to take shelter in the school as it was raining heavily, were detained, a senior officer said. She has been admitted to a hospital in Kalinga Nagar in a serious condition, he said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday night when the girl, a resident of Keonjhar district, along with her brother was going to her sister’s place in Sukinda Chromite valley.

When they alighted from a bus, there was heavy rain in the area and a group of men suggested that they could stay at the school building and go to their destination when the rain would stop. They accepted their suggestion and took shelter there.

However, the five men returned late in the night, beat up the brother and chased him away. When they tried to rape the girl, she ran to the roof of the school building and jumped from there critically injuring herself, the police officer said.

Hearing her brother’s scream for help, locals rushed to the spot and alerted the police.

Police personnel reached the village, rescued the girl and admitted her to the hospital.

Kalinga Nagar Police Station inspector-in-charge P B Rout said, ”Based on the statement of the victim’s brother, all five people have been detained. Interrogation is underway.”