Berhampur: Four minor boys, who were among the 10 people arrested for their alleged involvement in the gangrape of a college student at Odisha’s Gopalpur sea beach, Thursday underwent a medical test to ascertain their exact age, police said.
The ossification test was conducted after the police urged the Juvenile Justice Board to treat the four minors – who claim to be 17 years old, as “adults” for the trial.
The police took them to the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (FMT) at the MHCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur for the test.
“We have conducted the ossification test, a medical procedure that uses X-rays to assess the age of a person,” said Prof Sudeepa Das, the head of the FMT department.
Das said they have also collected blood samples from all 10 accused and the 20-year-old woman for the DNA test.
“Considering the gravity and heinous nature of the crime, the police prayed to the JJB to prosecute the four minors as adults under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015,” Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M had said after the arrest of all the accused Tuesday.
While the six other accused were forwarded to jail after their bail plea was rejected by the JMFC (judicial magistrate-first class), Berhampur, the four minors were sent to correctional homes as per law, police said.
“The woman was brought for medical and FMT tests June 16, within hours of the incident, and all the required samples could be collected,” Das added.
The June 15 gangrape case, which sparked nationwide outrage, is currently being investigated by the CID.
The police had earlier said that all 10 arrested accused were between 17 to 24 years of age, and the prime accused is a B.Tech dropout having criminal records.
PTI
