17-month-old girl allegedly raped by relative in Odisha

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Khunta (Odisha): In what can be called as a heinous crime coming to light from Odisha, a 17-month-old girl was allegedly raped by her relative in Khunta block of Mayurbhanj on the evening of July 5. Police said that the girl has been sent for medical evaluation and a case has been registered.

"A case registered under relevant sections, the minor girl sent for medical evaluation," said S Mohapatra, Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Khunta.

Accused is at large and further investigation into the matter is underway.

In another similar case, a minor Dalit girl from Vittal area in Dakshina Kannada district was recently raped, according to police sources on Wednesday. Five men have been booked on charges of rape in this case.

The 17-year-old girl is now six months pregnant after she was continuously sexually assaulted by five men in the area since last December, the police said.

A case under IPC sections 376, 506 and provisions of POCSO Act and SC/ST Atrocities (prevention) Act has already been registered against the five accused. The matter first came to light when an ASHA worker paid the victim a visit to her house. The victim then narrated the incidents to her and she also filed a police complaint later. In her complaint, she named the five people who assaulted her.

According to reports, the girl had just completed SSLC examination when she was first abused by her own cousin Ganesh who took her to Subramanya and for two days, raped her. In the next few months, the other accused sexually assaulted her various times.

The girl, in her complaint, said she was threatened by the accused of dire consequences if she divulged the matter to anyone. Further investigation is in progress and the police are on the look-out for the culprits, the sources said. This comes days after a Dalit student was gang-raped by her college mates, sending shock waves among people in the district.

Five students of a private college at Puttur were arrested after the video clip of the incident had gone viral on social media.

With inputs from ANI

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