KENDRAPARA: Police on Tuesday arrested a 28-year-old man on charges of raping and impregnating a 15-year-old girl in Rajkanika area of the district.
The accused, Mangaraj Mallick, and the survivor belong to the same village. Police said Mallick was in a relationship with the girl and sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions over the past three months. The case came to light after her mother noticed physical changes in her daughter’s body and lodged an FIR in Rajkanika police station on Monday.
In her complaint, she alleged that Mallick sexually assaulted her minor daughter repeatedly, resulting in her pregnancy. Police said the accused had threatened the survivor to remain silent after she informed him about the pregnancy.
Rajkanika IIC Sanjay Kumar Mallick said police launched an investigation and booked the accused under section 70(2) of the BNS for rape of a minor, along with sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act. He was produced in court and remanded to judicial custody.
Meanwhile, the survivor was produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), where she recorded her statement. She has been placed in a government-run rehabilitation centre.
CWC chairperson of Kendrapara Sadhana Nayak said, “CWC has taken custody of the minor to ensure her safety and provide medical, legal and psychological support, including counselling and continued healthcare.”