Man arrested for 'raping' Class 9 girl in Odisha’s Balasore

The Odisha Police has arrested a 26-year-old man for allegedly abducting and raping a Class-9 girl in Balasore district, officials said on Monday. According to police, the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when the girl was returning home on a cycle after attending tuitions.

The accused from Antara village in the district stopped the girl on the way and forcefully took her to a lonely place near Barada Ranital canal area within Simulia police station limits and allegedly raped her, they said.

When locals came to know about the incident, they tied the man with a rope, thrashed him and set his motorcycle on fire, police said.

A police team later reached the spot, arrested the man and admitted the girl to Simulia hospital. She was then shifted to Bhadrak district headquarters hospital.

Shraban Kumar Maharana, inspector in-charge of Simulia police station, said, "Based on the complaint lodged by the girl's mother, the man has been arrested and will be forwarded to court after medical checkup."

The girl's health condition is stated to be stable, he said.

Meanwhile, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Bhakta Charan Das has formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the incident.

The nine-member committee, headed by Bandita Parida, will visit the crime scene, meet the girl and her family members before submitting a report.