Kendrapada: Two juveniles were booked Saturday for their alleged involvement in the sexual assault of a seven-year-old girl in Odisha’s Kendrapada district, police said.
The incident took place Thursday evening in a village under the jurisdiction of Pattamundai police station when the girl was alone at home. The two boys, aged 10 and 13, allegedly took her to an isolated spot and sexually assaulted her before threatening to kill her if she revealed the incident.
The crime came to light Friday after the victim’s mother lodged a police complaint. According to the FIR, the girl disclosed the assault to her mother after she returned home from a nearby market.
Acting on the complaint, police apprehended the two juveniles Saturday. They allegedly confessed to the crime during questioning. The victim’s statement was recorded under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Her statement was subsequently recorded by a magistrate under Section 183.
The victim and the two accused underwent medical examinations at Pattamundai Sub-Divisional Hospital. The victim’s biological samples and clothing were also seized, said Pattamundai police station inspector in charge (IIC) Pradipta Kanungoo.
The accused have been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Both juveniles were produced before the Kendrapada Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), which released them into their parents’ custody after their parents gave undertakings to produce them before the board whenever required.
PTI
