Cuttack, July 27: Four armed goons allegedly gang-raped a 27-year-old woman before decamping with gold and silver ornaments along with cash from her house within Sadar police limits hours past midnight here today.

The incident occurred barely two hours after the victim's husband had left home to attend to a relative undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Thoriasahion last night.

The family suspects the involvement of some acquaintance in the crime. On his way to the hospital, the victim's husband had seen a group of persons consuming liquor along the roadside, about one kilometre away from his house.

The victim said four men had entered the house when she was sleeping along with her two children - a seven-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son. They first took away her mangalsutra (wedding necklace) and then took away other gold ornaments from the cupboard and mobile phones.

The family is yet to tell police the exact amount of cash and ornaments looted.

"They placed a knife on the throat of my daughter and son and threatened to kill them. I could not raise an alarm and gave away the keys of the cupboard," the victim said.

After looting the valuables, the men forcibly took her to the Kathajodi river embankment, nearly 1.5km from her residence, and gang-raped her.

"Later, somehow I managed to escape from their clutches and informed my husband about the whole incident," she said.

The couple in Khurda district, was staying in a single-storied house on rent for the past two years.

The victim's husband runs a small garment shop in the rented building.

Senior police officials, including deputy commissioner Sanjeev Arora, visited the spot and accompanied the victim to the spot where she was allegedly raped.

"We have registered a case and in accordance with the complainant's statement that four goons entered her house last night and committed the crime," said Arora.

A forensic team inspected the spot near Kathajodi river embankment as well as the house to collect material evidences in connection with the alleged gang-rape.

The police suspect that the goons scaled a small boundary wall of an adjacent building to enter the house. However, they have no evidence to prove their claim.

"We are investigating the matter, taking into account several aspects and we hope to crack the case soon," Arora said. A medical test will be conducted on the rape victim tomorrow.

The robbery and gang-rape incident has sent shockwaves through the victim's village.

"We are not feeling safe as there have been three major robberies in the area," said local resident Kishore Das.

An elderly woman was murdered after a robbery bid at Bhagatpur under Purighat limits on June 11 this year. Later, cops nabbed five offenders involved in the murder and recovered 1.4 kg of gold ornaments, Rs 50,000, three mobile phones and two motorcycles looted from the house.

A gang of robbers had broken into the house of a retired high court judge P.K. Mohanty at Markatnagar and decamped with cash and gold ornaments after tying up the family members on May 29, 2015.

The cops had subsequently cracked the sensational robbery case following arrest of six members of the criminal gang in June last year.