In an incident reminiscent of Austria’s monster dad Josef Fritzl, a 58-year-old man was on Sunday arrested in Orissa for raping his 32-year-old daughter over the past 18 years. The daughter, now married, lodged a complaint with the Bansada police station in Orissa’s Bhadrak district, 140 km north of Bhubaneswar, after her father made repeated sexual advances at her.

In the first information report (FIR), the mother of two has alleged that Bishnumohan Panda of Rajgurupur village first raped her when she was 14.

Panda threatened her with dire consequences whenever she opposed his actions.  She aborted many of his unborn children, says the FIR.

Even after her wedding, Panda made his daughter and his son-in-law stay with him for five years in order to have sex with her during the husband’s absence.

On August 30, Panda attacked her with an iron hook. After being injured, she, with the help of a neighbour, lodged the complaint.

Panda has been remanded to judicial custody. 

This isn’t the first case of protectors turning sexual predators. Mumbai businessman Kishore Chauhan was arrested in March this year on charges of raping his daughter because a tantrik (godman) told him it would make him rich.

In April 2008, Austrian Joseph Fritzl was arrested for sexually abusing his daughter in the cellar of his house for 24 years. Fritzl even fathered seven children by her.