BHADRAK: A mentally-challenged woman, who was allegedly kidnapped by a truck driver on Thursday night, was rescued by police after a 48-hour search operation in Bhadrak on Saturday.
The accused was identified as Md Saddam Hussein of Keonjhar. According to police, the accused abducted the woman while returning from Dhamara port.
During interrogation, he confessed to committing the crime with the intent to fulfill his sexual desires. He later abandoned the victim near a factory at Randia.
The incident which was captured on CCTV revealed the woman had taken shelter on the verandah of a shop during heavy rainfall when the truck driver stopped his vehicle on the nearby road. He forcibly lifted her and pushed her into the vehicle ignoring her desperate screams, before fleeing the scene.
Following this, Bhadrak SP Manoj Rout deployed multiple police teams to trace the accused and apprehended him at Jhumpura in Keonjhar. IIC of Bhadrak Town police station Pravanshu Sekhar Mishra said a case was registered and the victim sent for medical examination. She has been placed at the Centre for Rehabilitation and Research in Bhadrak for further care and support, he added.
The incident sparked concern among local residents, who have demanded increased patrolling and improved security measures, especially in sensitive areas, to prevent such crimes in the future.