Odisha Police arrest two brothers for raping, attempting to bury pregnant teen

Paradip: Odisha Police has arrested two brothers for allegedly gang-raping a 15-year-old girl for over a year and attempting to bury her alive after she became pregnant in Jagatsinghpur, an official said on Friday.

According to the complaint lodged by the survivor’s father at Kujang police station, the brothers — Bhagyadhar (60) and Panchanan Das (58) — had subjected the minor to repeated physical assault for over a year, and she is now seven months pregnant.

The accused brothers work at a mutt (ashram) that the minor frequently visited, the official added.

In the complaint, the survivor's father also claimed that although he initially reported the matter to a local panchayat functionary, the official offered him money to suppress the incident and even threatened him against reporting it to police.

According to police, a case was registered against the two brothers and one more person under sections of rape and POCSO Act.

While the brothers were arrested on Thursday, the third accused is absconding, Tirtol SDPO Chinmay Raut said.

The incident came to light barely four days after the gangrape of an 18-year-old woman in Jagatsinghpur district.

The victim, currently under treatment at the district headquarters hospital, is in critical condition, police said.