Three hockey coaches apprehended in Jajpur over alleged assault of young female athlete

Bhubaneswar, July 22: A significant development has occurred in Jajpur regarding the alleged sexual assault of a minor female sportsperson, with police apprehending three hockey coaches in connection with the incidents. The individuals taken into custody are identified as Sandeep Swain, Sagar Nayak, and Sarthak Mohanty, all residents of Cuttack district.

The disturbing sequence of events reportedly began to surface late on July 20th, when the young athlete sought help at the Jajpur Town Police Station around 11 PM. In her distressing statement, she recounted two distinct alleged attacks.

The first alleged incident reportedly took place in March during a sports event in Rourkela, where coach Sandeep Swain, from Odapada (Kishannagar police station area), is accused of rape. The survivor's ordeal, unfortunately, didn't end there.

According to the complaint, on the evening of July 3rd, Swain allegedly orchestrated the minor's abduction with the help of fellow coaches Sagar Nayak, a native of Hulipur under Kishannagar police limits, and Sarthak Mohanty, from Mallikapur under Nemalo police limits. The two coaches are accused of transporting her by motorcycle to a nearby hotel, where they allegedly subjected her to physical harassment and attempted sexual assault. Her desperate cries for help reportedly alerted hotel staff, whose intervention at the room door allowed her to escape.

Responding promptly to her detailed account, law enforcement initially detained four individuals for questioning. Siddhant Raut (also known as Chintu) of Ramchandrapur was questioned and later released after evidence was gathered. However, Swain, Nayak, and Mohanty were formally placed under arrest. All three accused individuals underwent medical examinations at the Jajpur District Headquarters Hospital.