Bargarh: A youth accused of raping a girl on the pretext of marriage was picked up by police from his wedding venue at Jharmunda village under Narangpur gram panchayat in Bhatli block of Bargarh district on Monday.
The accused identified as Pramod Bariha (28) of Jagatipali village under Kelendapali gram panchayat had an affair with a minor girl in their village in the year 2017. He had established physical relationship with the girl on the pretext of marriage.
However, Bariha fled to Tamil Nadu after the girl got pregnant. A complaint in this regard had been lodged by the girl at Bhatli Police Station. Based on the complaint, police had conducted raids at several places both in Odisha and Tamil Nadu but were unable to trace Bariha as he kept on changing his whereabouts.
He returned to Odisha last month and was in hiding. Acting on a tip-off that he is going to marry a girl of Chhattisgarh at his maternal uncle’s house in Jharmunda, police conducted a raid and nabbed him.
