Gangrape and murder of minor tribal girl in Odisha’s Keonjhar, 4 accused arrested

Odisha Police on Thursday arrested four persons on charges of gangrape and murder of a minor tribal girl at a village in Odisha’s Keonjhar, officials said.

Among the four accused, one knew the victim, police added.

Police said a case under Sections 70(2) (gangrape), 103(1) (murder), and 49 (abetment) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of POCSO Act and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been registered against the accused.

The incident took place at a village within Pandapada police station limits on June 16.

The next day, villagers found the 17-year-old girl, who had gone missing after leaving her home to relieve herself, hanging from a tree, following which her family alleged that she was gang-raped and killed, police said.

Bloodstained clothes and other items were recovered from the spot where her body was found hanging, officials said.

The girl's father in his FIR had alleged that his daughter was gang-raped, killed and subsequently hanged to make it appear as suicide.

Though police had detained two persons on suspicion on Wednesday, later based on preliminary investigation four people were arrested

"We are investigating the incident from all angles. The autopsy will reveal whether it was a case of gangrape," Laxmikant Pradhan, the IIC of Pandapada police station, said.

PTI