Bhubaneswar, Aug 16: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday announced a Rs 5 crore assistance for the flood victims of Kerala.

Patnaik spoke with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over telephone and assured to provide relief and assistance to the people of Kerala affected by the flood.

"Chief Minister @Naveen_Odisha announced assistance of five crore rupees for relief and restoration of the damage caused by floods in Kerala and expressed solidarity with those affected by the extreme weather event," tweeted the Chief Minister's Office.

Notably, the number of deaths in rain-related incidents in Kerala on Thursday rose to 87. The Kerala government has issued a red alert across the state.

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Gumla (PTI): Three persons were arrested on Monday for allegedly raping two women at a village in Jharkhand’s Gumla district, police said.

All the three accused have been remanded to judicial custody, Gumla Sadar Police Station officer-in-charge, Mahendra Karmali, told PTI.

According to police, one of the women had been called to Gumla Sadar by her boyfriend on Sunday for an outing.

“She arrived at the spot accompanied by a female. The woman’s boyfriend then called a friend, and they took the two women to a secluded place in Sisai police station area in the evening, forcibly made them consume alcohol before raping them,” the officer said.

The accused later called another man to the spot, who also allegedly raped the women, he said.

“The women later reached the Sadar Police Station and lodged a complaint on Sunday night. Police conducted raids and nabbed the three accused on Monday,” he added.

Further investigation is underway.