Bhubaneswar: One of the accused in the case involving the alleged manhandling of two women from Delhi in Jajpur district attempted suicide on Monday night by consuming oleander fruit during a police raid at his residence.
The accused has been identified as Anil Jena (30). Police said he was rescued and admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Jajpur for treatment.
“Efforts are on to arrest the other accused, identified as Nitesh Jena (20), who is currently absconding,” Jajpur SP Yashpratap Shrimal told reporters.
The incident occurred on Sunday night when the two women were returning to their home in Tarangasagarpur village after visiting the Maa Biraja Temple. One of the women, a local resident, had come home to observe her father’s first death anniversary and was accompanied by a female friend.
After getting down at Patanasahi Chhak around 9.30 pm, they called her brother to pick them up as they felt unsafe walking alone at night.
The assailants allegedly confronted the duo at a local playground, passed lewd comments, misbehaved with them, touched them inappropriately, and pulled at their T-shirts. When the woman’s brothers arrived and protested, they were reportedly assaulted.
“The miscreants may have been under the influence of alcohol,” the woman from Delhi told the media.
