Kolkata: A man accused of luring away and repeatedly raping his minor stepdaughter in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district has been arrested from Odisha by the Haroa Police after evading arrest for nearly seven months, a senior police officer said on Saturday.
The minor girl was also rescued during the operation, police added.
According to the police, the accused had married a woman from his neighbourhood and was living with her and her minor daughter from a previous marriage.
Investigators said that, without the mother’s knowledge, he allegedly lured the minor girl away and fled with her. The accused is also alleged to have forcibly married the minor and subjected her to repeated sexual assault and physical torture while remaining on the run.
Following the incident, the victim’s mother lodged a written complaint at Haroa Police Station, accusing her husband of kidnapping and raping her minor daughter. By the time the complaint was filed, the accused had fled the area and was hiding in Odisha under a concealed identity to avoid arrest.
A police officer said a case was registered immediately under several non-bailable sections, including provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
Investigators launched a search operation and tracked the accused in Odisha through mobile tower locations and intelligence inputs. A special police team subsequently conducted a raid in Odisha and arrested him, while simultaneously rescuing the minor girl.
Police said the rescued minor has undergone a medical examination and her confidential statement has been recorded as per legal procedures. The accused was produced before the Basirhat Sub-Divisional Court on Saturday and remanded to police custody.
Further investigation is underway to ascertain whether any other person was involved in the whole incident.
(IANS)
