‘Love Jihad’ in Bhubaneswar: Karnataka youth arrested for trapping Odisha girl, raping her

In a concerning case of alleged ‘Love Jihad’, a Karnataka youth was arrested by police on Sunday for allegedly trapping a young woman with fake identity and raping her in Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha. 

According to police sources, the accused not only sexually assaulted the woman but was also planning to take her outside the state before he was apprehended. Sources said the accused allegedly attacked the woman when she refused to go with him. 

The identity of the accused has not been officially disclosed yet. Preliminary reports indicate that the rape survivor belongs to the Hindu community, while the accused belonging to a different community, allegedly introduced himself as a Hindu to gain her trust and trap her on the pretext of marriage.

Police further revealed that the accused, who said he belonged to a minority community, allegedly developed a physical relationship with the woman before his arrest on Sunday. The accused youth reportedly hails from Karnataka and had allegedly planned to take the woman there. Investigators also claim he was mentally pressuring the woman and attempting to influence her in matters related to religion.

During preliminary investigation, police began probing the case from a possible ‘Love Jihad’ angle. A case has been registered against the accused under charges of rape, criminal conspiracy (Section 120B IPC), and kidnapping.

The accused has been produced before the court. Police are now investigating whether he is linked to similar cases in the past, as he allegedly used multiple identities on social media, often presenting himself as a Hindu.

Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the full extent of the case and any possible past involvement of the accused in similar offences.