Another rape case reported from Balasore district, accused held

A man has been arrested in Khaira area of Odisha’s Balasore district on charges of raping a minor girl last week, police said. The incident comes days after two similar cases of minors’ rape were reported from the district. The girl, a student of class 7, was returning home from a community programme on April 13 when she was attacked, inspector in-charge of Khaira police station, Lopamudra Nayak, said.

“On the basis of an FIR lodged with the police by the girl’s father, the accused Jagabandhu Mallick was arrested yesterday,” he said. Mallick was booked under relevant sections of the IPC, including 376 (I) (rape), and provisions of POCSO Act, Nayak said.

An eight-year-old girl was allegedly raped in Soro area of Balasore on Sunday, a day after a similar case was reported from the Nilagiri area of the district.