Paradip (Odisha), February 27 A 23-year-old woman was raped twice in a day by her boyfriend and a stranger offering help, and then thrown off a four-story building, leading to her death, in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district, police said on Friday.
Police arrested both the accused and charged them under various sections of the BNS for kidnapping, rape, and murder.
"The incident took place on February 22 after the woman left her house with plans to elope with her boyfriend, who had asked her to go to a temple by promising to marry her. However, he took her to a secluded place, raped her, and abandoned her at the Rahama bus stand," Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police Ankit Kumar Verma told reporters.
As the victim was waiting at the bus stand, another man from Jharkhand, who was heading to nearby Paradip on his motorcycle, saw the woman and offered help.
He then took her to the roof of his rented accommodation in Paradip town and raped her again, the SP said.
The accused then threw the woman from the roof, leading to her death, he said, adding that her body was found the next morning.
The SP said the victim's brother lodged a complaint at the Paradip Model police station on February 25, alleging that his sister was raped and murdered on February 22. A case of unnatural death was registered on February 23 after the woman's body was recovered.
Earlier, on the evening of February 22, the woman's brother had lodged a missing persons case at the Tirtol police station when his sister did not return home.
BJD supremo and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Naveen Patnaik, condemned the incident and demanded justice for the woman and other victims of recent rape incidents.
"How many more innocent lives will be lost? From underage girls to differently abled young women, no one is safe. So, is the rule of law still in place in the state? The news of heinous crimes coming from Kanhari in Angul, Kuchinda in Sambalpur, and Paradip is deeply disturbing. Chaos everywhere, insecurity all around, O Mother!" he said in an X post.
"While the government delivers long-winded speeches on women's safety and law and order, the ground reality is extremely alarming. Even in broad daylight, an atmosphere of fear prevails. Despite repeated instances of such deplorable incidents, the government's failure to take any exemplary, stringent action is emboldening the criminals. The government should take proactive steps to spread awareness on women's safety and ensure the rule of law is upheld in the state," the former CM added.