Kandhamal: A 14-year-old girl from Belghar village in Odisha’s Kandhamal district returned home safely on Tuesday morning after enduring a harrowing night alone in a dense forest, following her alleged abduction and sexual assault.
According to sources, the teenager had gone to the village pond early Monday morning to bathe when two local youths allegedly kidnapped her. The duo dragged her into a nearby forest, where they tied her hands, tore her clothes, and sexually assaulted her. They also recorded the act on their mobile phones and threatened to make the videos public if she told anyone about the incident.
After the assault, they abandoned the minor in the forest and fled the scene.
Displaying extraordinary resilience, the girl survived the night in the forest despite the intense cold, darkness, and fear. She navigated her way out of the wilderness and reached her home this morning. She bravely recounted the terrifying ordeal to her family, who rushed her to the nearest community health centre for medical examination and filed a formal complaint at Belghar police station.
Police sources said a local youth has been detained, while efforts are underway to trace and apprehend the other accused.
