Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police has arrested four persons of the brutal gang rape and torture of a minor girl from Jharkhand. The arrests were made following the victim’s discovery in a critical condition on a roadside,
The accused have been identified as Manju Sethi, the alleged kingpin, Sanjeev Das alias Bapi, the house owner where the crime is believed to have occurred, Mamata Sahu, a middleman; and Abinash Muduli, another middleman involved in the trafficking.
Police Commissioner Suresh Devdutt Singh confirmed the arrests during a press briefing, stating, “We have apprehended the four key accused in this heinous case under the POCSO Act. The investigation is underway, and we are in touch with Jharkhand police to trace the victim’s family.”
The ordeal came to light late last night when the minor girl, estimated to be around 14-15 years old, was found writhing in agony on a roadside in the Ashok Nagar area in the city. Eyewitnesses, including local auto drivers, initially mistook her for someone mentally distressed as she lay abandoned and unresponsive. Later, they discovered severe injuries across her body, torn clothing, and signs of extreme physical trauma. Alarmed, they promptly alerted the police.
Commissionerate Police teams rushed to the scene, rescuing the girl and rushing her to Capital Hospital for emergency treatment. Doctors noted multiple signs of brutal assault and torture, including internal injuries that required immediate admission. The victim was initially too traumatised to speak, but during preliminary questioning, she revealed that she hailed from Jharkhand and had been lured to Bhubaneswar under false pretences.
According to police sources, Manju Sethi, the primary accused, had allegedly trafficked the girl to the city with promises of employment. She was then handed over to the middlemen, Mamata Sahu and Abinash Muduli, who arranged for her confinement at a rented house owned by Sanjeev Das alias Bapi in the Laxmi Sagar area.
In a parallel development, raids in the Laxmi Sagar police station jurisdiction uncovered two additional minor girls believed to be victims of a similar trafficking ring. They have been rescued and placed under protective custody, with counselling and medical aid underway.
