KalingaTV News Network
Baripada: Adding to the growing incidents of sexual assault on minors in the state, police on Saturday arrested a youth from Garudabasa village under Betnoti Tehsil in Mayurbhanj district on charges of raping and murdering an eight-year-old girl.
The accused has been identified as Jamini Mahanta, a resident of the same village.
The minor victim went missing after leaving her house for revelry on the occasion of Raja Sankranti last afternoon following which her family launched a frantic search in and around the village. However, the incident came to fore after a few locals in the village who had witnessed the accused while taking the minor on a ride on his bicycle at around 4 PM reported the same to the victim’s family.
After the villagers detained Mahanta suspecting a foul play by him in the case and thrashed him heavily, he confessed to raping and murdering the minor after abduction.
The body of the victim was later recovered from a forested area located near the village.
Betnoti Police reached the spot with scientific team and seized the body for autopsy and later arresting the accused this morning.
Ms Kalinga