Bhubaneswar, Feb 21: A 35-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly attacking a postgraduate student of Sambalpur University. The accused, identified as Rakesh Das, is a native of Kolkata and was residing in Burla.
The incident came to light when 24-year-old Sonali Naik, a final-year student of Library Sciences, was found unconscious with severe head injuries in a field near Metakani temple in Burla. According to police sources, Rakesh and Sonali had been in contact over the phone for the past two months.
On Wednesday evening, Rakesh asked her to meet him at the field. However, upon reaching the spot, he saw her talking to someone on the phone. Suspecting that she was speaking to another man, he asked her to disconnect the call immediately. When she refused, he lost his temper, picked up a stone, and brutally struck her multiple times before fleeing the scene.
Passersby later found Sonali unconscious and informed the police. She was initially admitted to VIMSAR, Burla, and later shifted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar.
Following an investigation, police examined CCTV footage from the area and detained Rakesh. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime. The police have seized the stone used in the attack, along with the mobile phones and earphones of both the accused and the victim.
