Sundaragada: A 31-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly raped a 13-year-old mentally- challenged minor girl in Sundargarh district, police said on Friday.
According to the complaint lodged by the girl’s mother, the incident took place around 4 pm on Thursday when the minor had gone to a pond near her village in Barpali under the Jamuna panchayat within Talsara police station limits.
The accused, identified as Suraj Toppo of the same village, allegedly took advantage of the deserted location and assaulted the girl. The girl’s mother, who had been searching for her, reached the spot after hearing her daughter’s cries. On being confronted, the accused allegedly fled from the spot by swimming across the pond.
Following the complaint, Talsara police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and arrested Tappo.
The accused was subsequently taken for medical examination and will be produced before a court, police said.
