Simulia: A day after a Class-IX rape victim committed suicide following humiliation and social ostracisation at a village under this block in Balasore district, police arrested the rapist Monday.
The accused identified as Buddhiram Nayak (32), a tent house trader, was arrested from his hideout at Rahanja in neighbouring Bhadrak district in the wee hours of Monday.
According to sources, the incident occurred September 23 evening when the victim had gone to a nearby grocery shop to buy provisions. Buddhiram picked her up to a deserted place on some pretext where he outraged her modesty.
The girl returned home and informed her family who confronted the youth’s family and informed the village elders and sarpanch about the incident.
However, the matter remained unresolved. On the other hand, the victim was constantly taunted and scorned by the Buddhiram’s relatives and supporters.
Unable to bear the social humiliation, the girl hanged herself to death in her house in the absence of her family members Saturday night.
Her family members woke up to find the girl hanging and sought the intervention of the police. However, police allegedly refused to accept the complaint of rape following which no post-mortem could be conducted till Sunday evening.
Irate relatives and family members of the deceased staged a demonstration, accusing the police of shielding the accused. Later, the police pacified the mob and sent the body for autopsy.
When contacted, Buddhiram claimed a false FIR has been lodged in his name.
“A case of unnatural death has been registered. The rape will be known after the arrival of the post-mortem report,” police said, adding that necessary action would be taken based on the report.
PNN