Rape cuffs on Odisha engineer, forester in two separate cases

KENDRAPARA/MALKANGIRI:  An assistant engineer of Kendrapara district rural development agency (DRDA) and a forester in Malkangiri were arrested by police on Sunday on charges of rape. Kendrapara’s Aul police on Sunday arrested the DRDA engineer, identified as 29-year-old Samarendra Jagadev, for allegedly raping a married woman and blackmailing her.

A few months back, the accused became friends with the 25-year-old victim. Finding her alone in the house two months back, he allegedly drugged the woman by giving her sedative-laced food. When she became unconscious, Jagadev raped her and clicked her pictures on his mobile phone. 

When the victim regained her consciousness, the accused threatened to blackmail her by showing her the obscene photos. Jagadev also threatened the woman of dire consequences if she reported the matter to anyone, said Aul IIC Salila Pradhan.

Gathering courage, the victim lodged an FIR against the accused on Friday basing on which Aul police arrested Jagadev under section 376 of the IPC, section 67 of the IT Act and section 6 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986. The victim and the accused were taken to the local government hospital for medical examination, the IIC added.

Jagadev was produced in the JMFC court and remanded to judicial custody after his bail plea was rejected. Similarly, Malkangiri police arrested forester Muralidhar Anugulia for raping a 26-year-old woman on the pretext of marriage.

The accused kept physical relationship with the woman of Sadashivpur village within Orkel police limits for around eight years by promising to marry her. However, he betrayed her and married another girl. 
Malkangiri Model IIC Rama Prasad Nag said in her complaint, the victim stated that on coming to know about Anugulia’s marriage, she confronted him. However, the accused misbehaved with her following which she lodged an FIR against him. The accused was produced in court and remanded to jail.