Paralakhemundi: Police Friday arrested a man from Hyderabad on charge of raping his niece in Gajapati district. The accused was identified as Kusha Raula (32), a distant uncle of the victim.
SDPO Thakur Prasad Singh revealed the matter before media at a presser held at Paralakhemundi police station.
Hit by excess poverty, Nanda Pani and his wife of Ghorani village under Gosani block went to work as bonded labourers in Chennai, leaving behind their two minor daughters with their grandmother. The elderly woman took care of the girls while their parents worked there and sent them money for their daily expenses.
Leaving behind the two girls, their grandmother went to attend a marriage function February 19. Taking advantage of this, the accused barged into the house while the two sisters were sleeping during the night of February 21.
He then allegedly raped the elder sister who is only 14. Later, he threatened the two girls not to reveal the incident before anyone and left the house. However, the girls called their parents and narrated the ordeal after which they returned to the village and informed the village committee about the incident.
Meanwhile, fearing social stigma, the accused was absconding. Even as a village meeting was called and Raula’s parents were asked to produce them before the villagers, he was on the run.
Left with no option, the girl’s father lodged a written complaint with the police March 2 after which a special team was formed to arrest the absconder. Acting on a tip-off, the special team arrested Raula from Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. He was sent for a medical examination and later produced in court.
