The Commissionerate Police in Bhubaneswar arrested a 38-year-old man for sexually abusing a minor student. The accused, identified as Niranjan Mishra, resides in the Mancheswar police station area of the city. The victim, an undergraduate student, had reportedly established contact with the accused, who operates a coaching center in the Saheed Nagar locality.
Following a complaint, it was alleged that Mishra convinced the minor girl that they were married by applying sindoor on her forehead at a temple. Subsequently, they started living together at his residence. After a disagreement, the victim approached the police and filed a complaint. In response, the Bhubaneswar Mahila Police Station initiated an investigation and filed a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The accused was apprehended and presented in court, which remanded him to judicial custody. Concerns have been raised over the law-and-order situation and the surge in violence against women in the state, leading to criticism of the government by opposition parties. In a separate incident, two individuals were arrested for allegedly raping a woman at a beauty parlour in Bhubaneswar under the guise of offering her employment. The beauty parlour owner, aged 51, and a 52-year-old staff member were taken into custody after the victim reported the incident to the Khandagiri police station.
