Odishatv Bureau

Konark: An auto-rickshaw driver who was arrested by the police for allegedly raping a woman in presence of her 5-year-old son yesterday, was forwarded to the court on Saturday.

As per the complaint lodged by the victim, a native of Beleswarpatna village, with the Ramchandi police station, she was on the way to her mother-in-law’s village Sutana with her 5-year-old son, in an auto-rickshaw last evening.

The auto driver, after dropping the passengers who he had brought from Puri, at Tikana on Puri-Konark marine drive, later took the vehicle in the wrong direction and stopped it near a forest area Bilabarapada village and allegedly raped her in the presence of her son. But as she cried for help, some villagers rushed to the spot and overpowered the auto-driver and informed the police.

Following information, police rushed to the spot and arrested the auto-driver. Police later took the accused and the victim to a nearby hospital for medical examination.

Informing the media, IIC of Ramchandi Police Station, Arun Tripathy, said the statement of the child confirms that the accused had taken his mother to the nearby casuarina forest and raped her.

“On the basis of the statement of her son, we arrested the driver and forwarded him to the court today,” he added.

Asked about the incident, the auto-driver, Bapi Ranjan Behera said the allegation brought by the woman against him is utterly false.

“I had taken a patient to Puri on rent. After dropping him there, I was returning to my home alone when this woman stopped my vehicle and told me that she would go to Tikana. After arriving at Tikana, she said she would go to her mother-in-law’s house at Sutana. I agreed to her request and said since I will go via Sutana, I will drop her there. There is no truth in her complaint against me as she is trying to victimise me,” he added.

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