Bhubaneswar: A special squad of Jagatsinghpur police has arrested suspended Sub-Inspector (SI) Amit Kumar Padhi, who had been evading arrest for nearly four months.
Padhi, a native of Balasore and formerly posted in Puri district, was wanted for allegedly marrying a minor girl from Jagatsinghpur and subjecting her to harassment.
The police had issued a non-bailable warrant against him, and he was tracked down to Andhra Pradesh where he was hiding. A team of police officers raided the location and arrested him, bringing him back to Jagatsinghpur for further questioning.
The case against Padhi came to light after the minor girl’s mother accused him of marrying her daughter underage, establishing physical relations, and demanding dowry. The mother also alleged that Padhi had threatened her daughter with a false case, and an audio clip of the threat went viral on social media.
According to the police complaint, Padhi had developed a relationship with the girl through social media and subsequently married her at a temple in Balasore despite knowing her age.
Soon after the marriage, Padhi reportedly established physical relations with her and later began demanding dowry. On learning about it, the victim’s family approached the police who registered a case against Padhi.
Further investigation is underway, and the police are looking into the details of the case.
