Odisha

Balasore (Odisha) Feb 20 (PTI) A local court Wednesday sentenced three people to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment in connection with the rape of a minor girl for four years.

She was raped between 2010 and 2013 during her stay at a short-stay home here, and when she became pregnant, they terminated it.

Jajpur (Odisha), Feb 16 (PTI) A local court here has sentenced a man and three members of his family to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife over dowry within five months of the wedding in 2014.

Additional District Judge Prasanta Kumar Nayak awarded life sentence to Akhaya Kumar Pal, his father Laxmidhar Pal, mother Subhadra Pal and sister Priyatama Pal on Friday.

Sambalpur (Odisha), Feb 11 (PTI) A police official and a 22-year-old man were arrested on Monday for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl in Odisha's Bargarh district, police said.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) in Sohela Banmali Kuanr and a youth -- Kaibalya alias Rinku Nag (22) -- were arrested on charge of raping the minor girl three days ago, Bargarh Superintendent of Police, Mukesh Kumar Bhamo said.

While the ASI was placed under suspension, both the accused have been booked under relevant sections of POCSO Act, the SP said.

Baripada (Odisha), Feb 8 (PTI) A teenage boy of a state-run residential school in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district was apprehended and sent to a juvenile home after one of her classmates, who is in her advanced stage of pregnancy, accused him of raping her, officials said Friday.

The headmistress of the school in the district lodged a complaint with the police on Wednesday after noticing that the tribal girl, a student of Class 6, is pregnant, a police officer said.

Phulbani (Odisha), Jan 27 (PTI) A man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly raping a 13-year-old tribal girl in Belghar area of Odisha's Kandhamal district, police said.

The 20-year-old man was held for kidnapping and raping the minor girl, a student of Class 7, Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of Belghar Police station, Dasarath Hembram, said.

The arrest was made on the basis of a complaint lodged by the father of the girl on Saturday, he said, adding, medical examination of the accused and the minor have been conducted.

Bhubaneswar, Jan 25 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi Friday said his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's entry into politics was not sudden as she had decided to play a role in the party after her children grew up.

The decision on the timing of Priyanka's political plunge was taken some years ago. She was delaying it because of the children, he said, replying to a question at an interactive session here.

"Now her children are grown-ups. While one of them has entered university, another too has grown up. Therefore, she decided to join politics," he said.

Malkangiri (Odisha), Jan 22 (PTI) An assistant teacher of a school in Malkangiri district was arrested by police Tuesday on the charge of molestation and sexual abuse of minor girls, officials said.

The district administration also suspended head master of Ashram School at Gangala, Pravat Lakra while assistant teacher Ajay Kumar Das has been arrested, they said.

Balasore (Odisha), Jan 18 (PTI) A court here has sentenced two men to 20 years of imprisonment for raping a minor girl in 2016.

Awarding the jail term to Dhulia Manual and Bikas Majhi on Thursday, Additional District Judge Ajanta Sarangi also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 each on the convicts for raping the 14-year-old girl at Chakarada village.

In case of non-payment of the fine amount, the convicts would have to serve an additional three months in jail, the judge said.

Sambalpur (Odisha), Dec 26 (PTI) An exchange of fire took place between Maoists and security forces at Gandhamardan hill range in Bargarh district, around 180 km from here, a senior police officer said Wednesday.

Police claimed that at least two Maoists suffered injuries in the gun battle on Tuesday night.

Balasore (Odisha), Dec 23; PTI: India on Sunday   successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable long-range ballistic missile Agni-IV, with a strike range of 4,000 km, as part of a user trial by the Army.

The strategic surface-to-surface missile was flight tested from launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Dr Abdul Kalam Island, earlier known as Wheeler Island, at about 8.35 am, defence sources said.