Bhadrak: A 10-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered at a village in Odisha’s Bhadrak district, triggering a protest by locals.
As per information, the incident came to the fore when some people found the blood-soaked body of the minor near a bush in Baligaon under the jurisdiction of Chandbali Police Station on Tuesday evening.
The girl’s family lodged a complaint with the police, alleging that she was raped and murdered.
An investigation has been initiated into the incident and police have taken four local persons into custody for questioning based on CCTV footage.
Angry over the incident, a large number of local people staged a road blockade at Baligaon on Tuesday night, demanding immediate arrest of those involved in the crime.
“The girl’s father complained that his daughter had been missing since Tuesday evening. He also alleged that the girl was raped and murdered, and those involved in the crime dumped the body in the bush. We are investigating the incident. Prima facie, it seems to be a case of sexual assault and murder,” a senior police officer said.
Sources said SDPO Trilochan Sethi, Chandbali Tahasildar, and Chandbali Police Station Inspector-in-Charge Paresh Mohanty have been camping there, and one platoon of the armed police force has been deployed, he said.
SDPO Trilochan Sethi said no untoward incident has taken place during the protest by locals and the situation is now under control.
Locals said the girl had left her home saying she was going to school. When she did not return, her family members searched for her. Later, her body was found in the forest.
