Taekwondo coach arrested on rape charge in Puri

A Taekwondo Coach was arrested here on charge of rape after nine orphan children and a 23-year-old girl were rescued from two illegally run homes from separate places in the city, police said here today.

Manmohan Bhanja, a Taekwondo Coach, was held yesterday after three orphan boys and a girl were rescued from a rented house in Baliapanda area, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Pravat Routray said.

Police said the coach was arrested under the provisions of IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 as he was running the home in which the three orphans and the girl were staying.

The girl and other orphan children were produced today before the court of sub-divisional magistrate, Puri which recorded their statements.The girl in her statement accused Bhanja for raping her following which he was arrested.

In another incident, six minor orphans including four girls were rescued by the Puri district child welfare committee with the help of police from a illegally run orphanage in a rented house in Abakash lane of the pilgrim town.

All the rescued children were kept in the government-run Utkal Balashram here, Routray said adding search was on to nab the owner of the orphanage in the second incident.