Kendrapada: A shelter home watchman and a 13-year-old inmate have been taken into custody for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old tribal girl from Jharkhand during her stay at a government-funded facility for destitute persons in Kendrapada district, police said Tuesday.
The alleged abuse came to light after the girl, who had been rescued by Childline in Kendrapada in June 2023 and placed at the shelter home on the direction of the district Child Welfare Committee (CWC), was found to be four months pregnant.
According to police, the girl was allegedly assaulted multiple times by the 52-year-old watchman and the juvenile during her stay at the facility. The juvenile was also residing at the childcare institution.
The girl was sent to her home in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand around two months ago after authorities traced her address, Kendrapada District Child Protection Officer said.
Her mother later noticed physical changes and alerted the West Singhbhum CWC. A medical examination subsequently confirmed the pregnancy. The CWC chairperson lodged a police complaint on Friday, which was later forwarded to Kendrapada Police.
Investigating officer Padmalaya Pradhan said the watchman had been arrested and booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Further investigation is underway and more arrests may follow, she informed.
The juvenile was sent to a correctional home in Anugola, while the district administration shifted all inmates of the shelter home to another facility and initiated action against the institution, Kendrapada CWC chairperson informed.
