Minor Was Alone At Home In Odisha's Balasore. Neighbour Came And Raped Her

A minor girl in Odisha's Balasore district was allegedly raped by her neighbour when she was alone at home. The accused, a 47-year-old man, was arrested after the girl confided in her family after days of silence. The incident, which occurred on July 20, was reported to the police two days later, following which an action was taken.

According to the complaint filed at the Amarda Road police outpost, the accused, identified as Karunakar Behera, entered the house in the absence of the minor girl's family and allegedly raped her.

Shaken by the incident, the girl remained silent for two days before coming out to her family and sharing the ordeal.

The police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The accused, Behera, has been arrested and is currently under police custody for interrogation. He will be produced in court today.

Police confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, and the survivor has been sent for medical examination. The incident has triggered public outrage in the locality, with residents demanding strict action against the accused.

Odisha is increasingly reporting cases of sexual assault. In another case, a minor was allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped by three men while returning from a birthday party on Sunday (July 20). She managed to escape but was raped again by a truck driver she encountered while fleeing. All four accused have been arrested.

Earlier this month, on July 3, a girl was allegedly kidnapped, taken to a lodge and gang-raped by her hockey coach, Sarthak, and two of his associates, Sandip and Sagar, in Jajpur district.

(With inputs from Dev Kumar Ghosh)