BHUBANESWAR: More than a month after national level woman rugby player Sujata Pradhan was allegedly abducted, the Police Commissionerate rescued her from Budijari village under Khandapada block in Nayagarh district on Saturday night.
A mason, Prabhat Pradhan, has been arrested in connection with Sujata’s abduction.
Soon after she was rescued by the police, Sujata reportedly insisted that she was involved in a relationship with Prabhat and their marriage was solemnised at a temple in Budijari village a few days ago.
The 17-year-old Sujata further stated before mediapersons here on Sunday that she had left home on her own will and dismissed allegations of being abducted.
Prabhat has been arrested on charges of kidnapping a minor girl and was produced in a court, which sent him to judicial custody.
Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma said Sujata and Prabhat were into a relationship and had decided to marry. “They first went to Delanga in Puri district and later shifted to the house of a relative of Prabhat in Budijari village,” he added.
Sujata, a resident of Padasahi village under Nandankanan police limits, went missing on May 18. The incident came to light after her father Kailash Pradhan lodged a police complaint on June 23. A team of Nandankanan police and Special Squad was on job to trace Sujata.
She was produced before the Magistrate in a local court and her statement recorded under Section 164 of CrPC.
Sujata is a student of plus-two final in Kunja Bihari College at Barang. She won gold medal in National Women’s Rugby Championship held in Kerala earlier this year. Sujata also participated in the 60th National under-19 School Rugby Championship in 2014-15, where she won a gold medal.