The Commissionerate Police have arrested Satyaprakash Hathi “Joker Happi,” the alleged mastermind of the much-discussed Dhuli gang-rape case, marking a major breakthrough in the investigation.
On Thursday at around 11 a.m., police took the accused to the crime scene and conducted a scene recreation. During the process, Happi explained in detail how and where the crime was committed. According to police, the victim was taken to a forest area near the riverbank, about 200 metres from the embankment, where the gang rape took place.
After the scene recreation, the accused was sent to Jharpada judicial custody. Police seized a mobile phone from him, which will be sent to a forensic laboratory for further examination to collect additional evidence.
Police said two other accomplices involved in the crime are still absconding, and a manhunt has been launched to trace and arrest them. Considering the sensitivity of the case, a three-member special team was formed to carry out the investigation.
The special team arrested Happi late Wednesday night from Ganjam district. Prior to his arrest, he had been hiding in Khordha. Earlier, police had arrested two other accused in the case and forwarded them to court.
Incident Details
According to police, the incident occurred on December 10, when a woman from the Bhubaneswar area had gone to Dhauli Shantistupa along with her male friend to visit a temple. While returning home on a motorcycle around 7 p.m., via the Lingipur–Tankapani bridge road along the Daya river embankment, the couple was stopped by the main accused Happi and five associates.
The accused allegedly tied the hands of the woman’s male friend and forcibly took the woman to the riverbank, where she was raped one after another. Following the incident, the male friend lodged a complaint at the police station.
Criminal Background
Police stated that Happi is a resident of Shishupalgarh, where he has been living with his family since childhood. Records show that since 2022, more than 23 criminal cases have been registered against him at Dhauli and Lingaraj police stations.
Last year, he allegedly assaulted a serving Sub-Inspector at Dhauli police station. A few days later, he reportedly set fire to an abandoned house near the Lingipur traffic post. In 2023, he was also involved in violent clashes in the Shishupalgarh area, in which six people were seriously injured.
