Rourkela, Nov. 18: Four youths allegedly gang-raped a 35-year-old woman near Pitamalah dam, a tourist destination located about 20 kilometres from here, yesterday afternoon in front of her husband.

The couple were on their way to Biramitrapur on a motorcycle when the four motorcycle-borne youths waylaid them and misbehaved with the woman. When her husband resisted, they thrashed him badly.

Following this, two of the accused held her husband, while the other two gang-raped the woman, said a source in the police.

The police said the Pitamalah dam area is at one corner of a forest and the place was deserted when the incident took place.

The accused took advantage of the thick foliage in the area. The ordeal continued for two-and-a-half-hours after which the offenders left in their bikes, which were parked at a distance.

The couple then went to the Kalunga outpost and lodged a complaint with the police. Following this, Brahmanitaranga police took up the case.

Inspector in charge of Brahmanitaranga police station S.N. Muduli said: "We are yet to nab the accused. However, we have got some lead in the case and we will be able to catch them soon. The couple had come from outside and were staying at Biramitrapur. The victims have been medically examined at the government hospital in Rourkela."

Racket busted

Central excise sleuths on Friday busted a brown sugar trading racket and seized product worth over Rs 5 lakh in Bhubaneswar. The cops also arrested five in this connection. Acting on a tip-off, the team conducted a raid on a house at Haladiapadia slum and seized the contraband.