Phulbani: Amid state-wide outrage over the rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl at Kotpad in Kandhamal district, another case reported from the same area has sent shock waves in the district.
According to a complaint lodged by family members of the girl, a man forcibly took the child to a secluded place in Kotpad while she was returning home on Sunday. He raped the child and two of his associates supported him in committing the crime, they alleged.
Police have registered a case in this regard and started conducting raids at different places in the district to nab the wrongdoers.
On Saturday, mutilated body of the Class IV girl was recovered from a forest at Kotpad.
The incident occurred at around 2 am when girl had gone to attend nature’s call at a nullah near her house after returning from school.
When the minor did not return home, her family members started searching for her and later lodged a missing complaint at Kotapad police station in the evening.
Moments later, the cops found the child’s body with injury marks from the forest. A youth identified as Gagan Nayak has been detained by the police for questioning in this connection.
Locals suspect that the girl was raped by someone and then dumped in the forest area.
On Sunday morning, a group of locals had staged a road blockade near Hatapada demanding compensation to the bereaved family.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had on Sunday announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia to the next of the kin of the family of the minor girl. Condemning the inhuman act, Naveen has conveyed his deep sympathy to the bereaved family.
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