Odisha: Abducted woman rescued, accused truck driver arrested

Odisha Police on Saturday rescued a woman nearly 48 hours after she was allegedly abducted and arrested the truck driver accused in the crime from Keonjhar district, officials said.

The woman, believed to be mentally challenged, was sent for medical examination after the driver confessed to have committed crime with the intent to fulfill his sexual desires. He later abandoned the victim at Randia near Bhadrak town, police said.

Driver Md Saddam Hussein of Keonjhar was arrested from Jhumpura area, said investigating officer Pravanshu Sekhar Mishra, inspector-in-charge of Bhadrak Town police station.

According to police, the accused abducted the woman while returning from Dhamara Port. The abduction, which was captured on CCTV cameras, showed the driver forcibly lifting the woman into his vehicle near Charampa Reserve police lines in Bhadrak late on Thursday night. The footage went viral on social media, triggering public outrage and widespread concern over safety in the area.

Bhadrak SP Manoj Rout immediately deployed multiple police teams to trace the accused. Saddam was eventually apprehended in Jhumpura area of Keonjhar. Police have also seized the truck and the clothes he wore at the time of the crime, said Mishra.

The victim, who appeared to be in a state of distress, has been placed at the Centre for Rehabilitation and Research in Bhadrak for further care and support.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)