A 15-year-old tribal girl from Odisha’s Dhenkanal district, who was allegedly trafficked to Uttar Pradesh under the pretext of employment, and repeatedly sexually assaulted over two years, has been rescued, police said.
Based on the minor survivor’s complaint, police have registered a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to police, the victim was desperately seeking employment to arrange funds for her mother’s surgery. A local broker, aware of her financial distress, allegedly lured her with the promise of a job in Bhubaneswar but instead trafficked her to Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh.
Police said the broker allegedly trafficked the minor to an individual in Jhansi for Rs 1 lakh. The victim was reportedly confined to a house for three months and repeatedly raped, which resulted in a pregnancy. She was then allegedly forced to undergo an abortion without her consent, before being trafficked a second time to another individual for Rs 50,000.
During her captivity, the minor was also subjected to physical assault and was allegedly denied food on certain days, police sources added.
The victim’s ordeal ended on May 19 after a local advocate assisted her and produced her before the police in Jhansi. The Uttar Pradesh Police subsequently provided her with a train ticket back to Odisha. Upon reaching Dhenkanal, she narrated her experience and lodged a formal complaint on May 23.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Dhenkanal Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhinav Sonkar confirmed that the primary accused, who first trafficked the minor, has been arrested. The accused, identified as 46-year-old Binay Patra, was apprehended from Visakhapatnam.
“Two teams have been sent to Jhansi for further investigation into the matter,” SP Sonkar said.
Jitendra Kumar Mallik, Inspector-in-Charge of the Kamakhyanagar police station, said two police teams are currently questioning various individuals in connection with the case. He added that the victim’s statement has been recorded, and she has been handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Dhenkanal.
The case has sparked sharp reactions from rights bodies. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and issued notices to the Directors General of Police (DGPs) of both Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, as well as the District Magistrate of Dhenkanal. The commission has demanded a detailed report within two weeks, detailing the status of the investigation and the administrative steps taken to support the victim.
Meanwhile, Shovana Mohanty, chairperson of the Odisha State Commission for Women (SCW), met the survivor at her residence on May 30.
“Instructions have been issued to police for the immediate arrest of all the accused involved in the case. I am personally monitoring the development on a day-to-day basis,” Mohanty said.
