KENDRAPARA: A rape accused, who was on the run for the last five years, was arrested from a house in Bhubaneswar on Friday night.
Prasant Nayak (32), a resident of Mukundapur village under Rajkanika police limits, was wanted in a rape case of a 22-year-old girl in 2016. Police apprehended him after being tipped off about his whereabouts, said IIC of Rajkanika PS Umakanta Nayak.
Sources said, the rape survivor and Nayak were in a relationship and on the pretext of marriage, developed physical intimacy. When the girl became pregnant and wanted to marry Nayak, he refused and threatened her of dire consequences if she disclosed the fact to anyone. Helpless, the victim sought the help of the police and filed an FIR against him on March 4, 2016.
Police booked Nayak under Sections 493 (cohabitation caused by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of lawful marriage), 417 (cheating), 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC for allegedly raping and impregnating the girl on the pretext of marriage. Soon Nayak fled the village and had been on the run since. Meanwhile, the victim gave birth to a baby girl in 2017.