Cuttack, Aug. 19: Police arrested three persons, members of a robbery gang, for their alleged involvement in the gang-rape of a 27-year-old woman.

The gang had looted the victim's house around 2am on July 27. The criminals had made three such attempts earlier. On August 3, the police arrested two persons in connection with the incident. The accused have been identified as Dilip Das, 21, Sanjay Das, 25, and Jaga Das, 25. On August 3, the cops arrested Gadadhar Das and Ratnakar Das.

Deputy commissioner of police Sanjeev Arora today said four men had forcibly entered the victim's house on finding her alone. The criminals had robbed the woman of a mangalsutra, a pair of silver anklets, Rs 5,000 in cash and a mobile phone.

The arrest has given relief to the victim's family members as they were planning to leave the village fearing other members of the gang.

Sources said the gang was busted after the police recovered the phone that had been sold to Ratnakar a few days after the incident. After his arrest, Ratnakar tipped the police about other members of the gang.

"The gang was involved in many burglary cases across the state. It was active in Bhadrak, Tangi, Jajpur and Kendrapara districts and planning similar loots in the rural pockets of Cuttack," said Arora.

The prime motive of the gang was to loot cash, jewellery and other valuables from the house. But as the victim's husband was not at home, they took her to an isolated place and raped her.

The woman was with her two children - a seven-year-old daughter and three-year-old son - when the criminals had entered the house by breaking open the lock of the front gate. The incident took place two hours after the victim's husband had left home to visit a relative in a private hospital at Thoria Sahi.