Kendrapada: A 28-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl multiple times in a village in the district. The minor, a Class IX student, was found to be around two months pregnant, police said. According to the police, the duo was allegedly in a relationship. When the minor informed the accused about the pregnancy, he threatened her to not disclose his identity. However, the girl’s mother became suspicious after noticing physical changes in her daughter. On Monday, she lodged an FIR.The mother alleged that the accused, who is from the same village, had repeatedly sexually assaulted her daughter over the past three months, resulting in the pregnancy. Acting on the complaint, police launched an investigation and arrested the accused. The accused was booked under BNS Section 70(2) (rape of a woman under 18 years) and Sections 4 and 6 of the Pocso Act, said investigating officer Sanjay Kumar Mallick. The accused was produced before a court on Tuesday. The court rejected his bail application and remanded him in judicial custody. The survivor was medically examined at a community health centre, where the doctors confirmed her pregnancy. She was produced before the district child welfare committee to record her statement and was placed in a govt-run shelter home in the district. “CWC has taken the minor into its care to ensure her safety and provide medical, legal and psychological support. She will receive regular health check-ups, continued medical care during and after pregnancy, and counselling,” said Sadhana Nayak, chairperson of the district CWC.
