27-year-old man arrested for abduction and rape of 15-year-old girl in Kandhamal district

Berhampur: A 27-year-old man was arrested in Kandhamal district on Tuesday for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl inside a car after abducting her on Friday evening.“The accused has been arrested and his car has been seized,” said Ramendra Prasad, sub-divisional police officer.Registering a rape case after an FIR was lodged by the survivor’s elder sister, police initiated an inquiry and launched a manhunt to apprehend the accused by forming multiple teams. “During search, a police team arrested him,” said the SDPO.Police said the girl, a Class IX student, had been visiting her elder sister for the past few days. On Friday evening, she was going to witness a Ganesh idol’s immersion. She was returning to her sister’s house after eating prasad, when the accused allegedly abducted her and raped her inside the car.When the girl opened the car door and attempted to flee, the accused allegedly dragged her inside and assaulted her, resulting in injuries to her knee, police said. The accused also threatened to kill her if she disclosed the crime to anyone. However, the girl narrated her ordeal to her elder brother, who lodged an FIR, sources said.