Bhubaneswar: City police arrested a 21-year-old man on Tuesday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl the previous evening. The heinous offence occurred just one month after his release from a juvenile observation facility where he served four years for a previous rape case.
The police identified the accused as Bablu Mahapatra. Officials reported that Mahapatra discovered the child playing alone outside her residence. He then took her to an isolated spot where he sexually assaulted her.
The child’s screams alerted a passer-by who called for help. Local residents rescued the girl and detained the accused before alerting the police.
“We came to know that he was detained in 2020 when he was 17 for sexually assaulting a minor girl in a slum. He was sent to the juvenile detention centre in Berhampur where he spent four years. He was released last month,” a police officer said.
Police said they will submit a chargesheet against him in court promptly and pursue his conviction.
Locals urged the police to remove him from the city limits. “Police should ensure the accused does not get bail. Since he is a habitual offender, his release will endanger the lives of girls. He should face stringent punishment,” a social worker said.
Of the total 2,826 rape cases registered in the state last year, 1,631 are minors, according to data from Odisha police.