In Bhubaneswar, a 26‑year‑old woman engineer was allegedly raped at gunpoint by an unknown masked assailant in her rented apartment near the Nayapalli police station on Wednesday night.
The victim, who hails from Jagatsinghpur district, works for a private company and was staying with her elder sister when the incident occurred.
Police registered a case after the victim filed a complaint. Senior officers, including Deputy Commissioner Saravana Vivek M, arrived at the scene and began the investigation. The victim’s statement has been recorded, a medical examination is underway, and CCTV footage from the apartment and surrounding areas is being examined.
Residents expressed shock and called for swift arrest and harsher punishment, demanding increased police patrols to prevent future crimes.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi noted that 1,606 rape cases were recorded in the state from January 1 to July 31, 2026, and that 21,069 cases involving crimes against women were registered during the same period.
