JEYPORE: Police on Tuesday managed to nab notorious criminal Mina Barik, one of the accused in Bamunigaon rape case that took place on December 24.
Mina of Kusumput village was arrested by a special police team from near Padwa jungle bordering Andhra Pradesh. Mina along with another criminal Lalu Bahadur had allegedly raped a woman in presence of her husband at gunpoint in Bamunigaon and after committing the crime, absconded.
The district police formed a special investigation team headed by Jeypore sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) AA Behera to nab the accused. Earlier, the team conducted raids at over 20 hideouts in Jeypore, Koraput, Kundra, Boipariguda, Kotpad, Borigumma and Nandapur but could not apprehend the duo.
Police sources said Lalu is believed to be in hiding outside the State. Koraput SP Varun Guntupalli said a special team is on the job to trace the other accused and he will be arrested soon. He further informed that Mina had 10 cases pending against him in Jeypore Sadar and Town police stations. In the evening, Mina was produced in court and remanded in judicial custody.
Meanwhile, Borigumma police interrogated three youths in connection with the death of a 20-year-old tribal woman whose nude body was found in a cashew forest near Chilliguda village on Sunday.
The three youths were quizzed after police verified the call records of the deceased woman. A team led by Borigumma SDPO Hare Krushna Majhi is investigating the case.
After preliminary inquiry, the police team found no evidence of sexual assault. However, samples from the woman’s body have been sent to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur for tests after locals and family members alleged rape and murder. SDPO Majhi said investigation is underway and the case will be solved soon.
The woman of Chilliguda was a worker in the local cashew mill. She had gone to collect firewood from the forest on December 30 but went missing. Her injury-ridden body was found on January 2.