Odisha man accused of impregnating minor tribal girl held; govt orders probe

A man was arrested by police in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar for allegedly impregnating a minor inmate living in a girl’s hostel run by the SC/ST welfare department in the state capital, prompting the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government to order a probe.

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes development minister Jagannath Saraka said strict action would be taken against those who are found guilty.

Bhubaneswar’s deputy commissioner of police Anup Sahoo said police arrested Budha Murmu on Monday from Salia Sahi slum of Bhubaneswar after investigations revealed that he allegedly had sex with the minor inmate of the SC/ST hostel.

The minor inmate from Mayurbhanj district had gone to her relative’s place at Salia Sahi during her summer vacation. The accused is a distant cousin of the victim.

Two other girls were also found pregnant during a routine health check-up on June 28 under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram following the end of the summer vacation.

Early this year, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had asked the Odisha government to take steps against increasing cases of sexual assaults against minor girls in various state-run SC/ST residential schools in the state.

In January this year, a 14-year-old girl student of a tribal school in Kandhamal district had delivered a baby girl in the toilet of the school hostel.

First Published: Jul 02, 2019 14:44 IST