Kendrapada: Two juveniles were booked on Saturday for their alleged involvement in the sexual assault of a seven-year-old girl in Kendrapara district.
The incident took place on Thursday evening in a village under Pattamundai police station limits when the girl was alone at home. The two boys, aged 10 and 13, allegedly took her to an isolated spot and assaulted her, and threatened her not to reveal the incident.
The matter came to light on Friday after the victim’s mother lodged a complaint with police. According to the FIR, the girl disclosed the incident to her mother after she returned home from a nearby market.
Acting on the complaint, police apprehended the two juveniles on Saturday. They allegedly confessed to the crime during questioning.
The victim’s statement was recorded under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and subsequently before a magistrate under Section 183.
The victim and the two accused underwent medical examination at Pattamundai Sub-Divisional Hospital. The victim’s samples and clothing were also seized, said Pattamundai police station inspector-in-charge Pradipta Kanungoo.
The accused have been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Both juveniles were produced before the Kendrapara Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), which released them into their parents’ custody after their parents gave undertakings to produce them before the board whenever required.
