The Odisha police have arrested a youth over allegations of rape and murder of a 16-year-old Dalit girl in Nabarangpur district after her blood-soaked body was recovered from a paddy field early this morning.
The police said a youth called Urjya Bagha was arrested in Kotpad police station area of neighbouring Koraput district where he is being interrogated. More arrests will follow, officials said.
On Friday night, the victim who was sleeping along with her mother, differently-abled younger sister, and brother went out to answer nature’s call at around 8 pm. However, she did not return afterwards. Family members along with other locals searched for her till late night, but could not locate the missing girl. This morning, a group of women first spotted her body on a farmland around half-a-kilometer from the village and informed her family members.
“The girl’s body bore several injury marks. Two denim pants were also found besides the body, which led the family members of the deceased to believe that she had been raped and killed,” said Nabarangpur SP Kusalkar Nitin Dagdu.
Police said the deceased’s body had several wounds suggesting a tussle between her and those who assaulted her.There are marks of the victim being dragged away from her house before being allegedly raped and murdered.
{{/usCountry}}Police said the deceased’s body had several wounds suggesting a tussle between her and those who assaulted her.There are marks of the victim being dragged away from her house before being allegedly raped and murdered.
{{/usCountry}}Though local police reached the spot, the villagers refused to hand over the body of the girl for autopsy till the culprits were arrested. The villagers however agreed to hand over the body later this evening after persuasion.