Bhubaneswar: A man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly attempting to rape a young woman after offering her a lift from the Khordha bus stand.
According to sources, the accused offered the woman a ride but instead took her to a secluded area inside the Ratanpur Reserve Forest with malicious intent. When he tried to assault her, the woman managed to escape from his clutches and fled deeper into the forest.
Lost and terrified in the dense forest, the woman reportedly contacted the police for help. Her phone was critically low on battery. Her phone had only 10 per cent battery left at that time.
A large-scale search operation was immediately launched involving more than 50 police personnel from Infovalley, Jatni, Tamando, Khandagiri, and Chandaka police stations. After nearly five hours of intensive search in the Ratanpur Reserve Forest area, the woman was safely rescued late on Sunday.
Following her rescue, the woman was counselled by police officers. Initially hesitant to file a complaint, she eventually lodged an FIR after being provided proper support and counselling.
Based on her statement, the police arrested the accused. The accused has been taken into custody and further investigation is underway.
