Jeypore: The prime accused in the gang rape of a married woman in a village under Jeypore Sadar police limits in Koraput district was arrested by police on Monday.
Jeypore SDPO Arup Abhisekh Behera informed that the accused identified as Lal Bahadur Darji was arrested from Ankadeli village on Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border today morning.
During his personal search, police recovered a pistol from his possession. He has been sent for medical examination following which he will be forwarded to the court.
Another accused in the case, identified as Mina Barik of Kusumput under Jeypore Sadar police limits, had been arrested earlier on January 4.
Behera informed that based on the complaint filed by the woman and her husband, Koraput Police had conducted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising of IICs of Mahila and Sadar Police Station to probe the case.
The SDPO was the Investigating Officer (IO) in the case that was directly monitored by the SP and Additional SP.
A team under the IIC of Sadar Police Station had been conducting raids on various hideouts of the accused in other States. The team had been following the accused who had moved to Delhi, from there he travelled to Bihar and was finally nabbed in Odisha.
Behera informed that the prime accused Darji is a history-sheeter and has around 14 cases registered against him at various police stations.
Around midnight of December 24 last year, the two accused had broken into the house of the rape survivor through the backyard while she, her husband, and her son were fast asleep.
They thrashed her husband before holding him and his son hostage at gunpoint. While one of the accused held her husband and son hostage at gunpoint, the other accused raped her. They took turns to rape the woman.
The couple informed the villagers of their ordeal and with their help filed a complaint at the Jeypore Mahila police station on December 26.
