Deogarh, July 18(OT Webdesk): In a major breakthrough, police arrested a 24-year-old man in Chennai who had been evading law enforcement after allegedly abducting and raping a 16-year-old girl from Deogarh, Odisha.
The victim went missing on March 17 after she left home for the Bank of India in Barkot Block Headquarters but did not return.
Her mother filed a missing persons report, leading to a police investigation that revealed the girl had been abducted by Umakanta Nayak, a resident of Dimiria village under Pallahara police limits in Angul district.
The minor was rescued a few days later, but the accused remained at large for months. She revealed that Nayak had lured her with deceptive promises and sexually assaulted her despite her resistance.
Based on her testimony, police filed charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Following leads, a special team led by Inspector Mamata Panigrahi located Nayak in Chennai. He was arrested, produced before the court, and remanded to judicial custody after his bail plea was denied.
