Man held for raping minor

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha police arrested a man for allegedly raping a 5-year-old girl in Deogarh district, an officer said on Monday. According to police, the accused committed the crime on Sunday night in an area where a religious programme was going on at a nearby place. When the victim started screaming, locals rushed to the spot, thrashed the accused and handed him over to the police. The police officers admitted him to a hospital and registered a case against him. “We have registered a case against Udit Patra under the BNS and POCSO Act. As per preliminary investigation, the accused committed rape on the minor girl when she went to witness a yajna,” said Deogarh SP Anil Kumar Mishra.

The police have recorded the statements of the victim, her parents, the SP said, adding, “We have sent a scientific team to the spot to collect evidence.”