Elderly man held for raping minor

Jajpur: A 57-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping an eight-year-old girl at a village under Bari- Ramachandrapur police limits in Jajpur district, said a police officer on Sunday. The accused has been identified as Arakhita Parida. The victim knew him as he is their neighbor.

The incident took place on October 23 and the girl’s mother filed an FIR with the local police on the same night. Police arrested the accused early on Sunday.

According to the complaint, the accused lured the girl on the pretext of showing her mongoose at his house and committed the crime. The minor girl returned home and fell sick. The family members rushed her to Bari Ramachandrapur CHC for treatment. She then revealed the incident to her mother at the hospital.

The Bari Ramachandrapur Community Health Centre (CHC) shifted the victim to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack as her condition deteriorated. She is currently undergoing treatment in the ICU of SCB. Based on the complaint, Bari- Ramachandrapur police registered a case and started investigation into it. The accused went into hiding after the complaint was lodged against him. Police then detained the accused’s son, daughter, nephew and his sister at the police station and grilled them to know his whereabouts. Finally, the accused was apprehended from the house of a medicine shop owner at Dandi Sahi under Pattamundai police limits in neighbouring Kendrapara district.

“We have arrested the accused and conducted his medical examination at the hospital,” said Jajpur SP Yashpratap Shrimal.