Police in Odisha's Kendrapara district have arrested four more people in connection with the gang-rape of a 15-year-old schoolgirl, bringing the total number of arrests to five.
The first arrest, made on Tuesday, was of a 29-year-old relative of the victim, identified as Happy Mallick. She is accused of luring the class 10 student to a secluded location where the assault by five individuals took place. Police believe the crime was premeditated, with Mallick as the prime suspect.
The four other suspects will be brought before a court later today, while Mallick has already been remanded to custody after her bail application was rejected. All five have been charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
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According to the FIR, the victim alleges that on Raksha Bandhan (August 9), Mallick offered to take her to a nearby temple but instead led her to a deserted spot where four men were waiting. The accused are also said to have recorded the assault on video and threatened the victim with severe consequences if she told anyone. The victim's statement was officially recorded on Wednesday in the presence of a magistrate.
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