Bhubaneswar, Dec. 21: Mahila police today arrested four persons for allegedly raping a 23-year-old female dancer of an orchestra group at Saheed Nagar on Wednesday night.

The accused have been identified as Sangram Pradhan, Subrat Das, Jatadhar Sahu and Biranchi Narayan Das.

The police said the four had gangraped the woman after calling her on the pretext of offering her to dance during a New Year eve party.

The accused were sent to Jharpada Special Jail following rejection of their bail pleas by a local court here this evening.

The woman in her complaint mentioned that Sahu called her on Wednesday night to talk about a dance programme, in which she was supposed to perform. When she came down to talk to Sahu, he took her to a house at Saheed Nagar where the other accused were waiting.

“They outraged her modesty. However, she managed to escape from their clutches and shouted for help. When other people gathered there, the accused managed to flee from the spot. On being informed, Saheed Nagar police had rushed to the spot but could not find anyone,” said an officer of Mahila police station.

Saheed Nagar police later handed the woman to Mahila police, who conducted a medical examination on her. Following her complaint, they registered a case of rape and launched a manhunt to nab the culprits.

“The accused persons were arrested from various places in the city today, and after medical examination on them, they were produced before the court,” said inspector in charge of Mahila police station Amita Tripathy.

This case has raised safety concern for women in the city. Earlier, a college-going student was gangraped in a running car after the accused offered her lift at Master Canteen Square to drop her at her relative’s house at Phulnakhara. City police arrested two accused involved in the case.

In January, a woman was molested in a moving car and thrown off the vehicle on Chandaka road after the accused failed in his effort to kidnap and rape her. The accused and three other persons were arrested in connection with the case.