Rourkela: A couple from Bihar was arrested by Town police in Sundargarh district on Friday night for allegedly abducting a 12-year-old minor girl on May 21. The girl was rescued from Rairakhol. The arrested couple has been identified as Ram Narayan Rout (44) and his wife Sita Devi (40), both honey sellers from Bihar.
Incident Details
On May 21, the 12-year-old girl was allegedly scolded by her mother for going near a river without informing her. After being scolded, she left her home and encountered the couple near her house, who were collecting honey. She asked them for food. The couple allegedly lured her and took her in their van. When the girl's mother and other family members did not find her, they lodged an FIR at the Town police station. Police registered a missing case and began searching for her. A reward of Rs. 10,000 was announced for information leading to the girl's whereabouts.
Rescue and Arrest
A man informed police about the minor girl's presence at Rairakhol. A police team went to Rairakhol, rescued the minor girl, and brought the accused couple to Sundargarh on Thursday evening. They were arrested a day later. Police have seized their van. “After rescuing the minor girl, the accused couple have been arrested,” said N Mohapatra, SDPO, Sadar, Sundargarh.
Further investigation is underway to determine if the couple was involved in similar cases. The rescued girl has been reunited with her family.
