Incarcerated rape accused marries vicitim inside Odisha jail

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Jajpur Town, May 16:

In the third case of its kind in Odisha this year, a rape accused on Friday married his victim inside the sub jail in Jajpur Town after the duo agreed on the proposal to tie the nuptial knot.

In January this year, a truck driver from a village under Chandaka police limits on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar had married the girl he had waylaid and raped on the Chandaka-Mendhasala road last year. Last month, another rape accused married his victim inside the Kendrapara jail.

As per reports, the accused, Bipin Bihari Khatua (30), from Nuakandala village under Jenapur police station limits in Jajpur district had an affair with the victim, Sukanti, from Radhakantapur village.

After a while of courtship, the girl proposed the man to get married. However, the latter rejected the offer and dumped her.

Following this, the family members of the girl registered an FIR at Jenapur police station (case no 533/13) under Sec 376, 294, 323, 506, and 34 of the IPC and Sec 4 of POCSO Act.

The local police arrested the accused and forwarded him to court. Following denial of bail, he has been languishing in Jajpur jail since October 25, 2013.

The complainant’s counsel Renubala Mohanty persuaded the accused to marry the victim.

As the victim was a minor (17) at that time, the marriage proposal was put on hold till she attained the legal age for marriage.

After the girl turned 18 last year, the accused filed a petition in the court and sought approval from jail authorities to marry her, authorities said.

“The marriage was solemnised inside the jail following a directive from the district judge. Permission of IG (Prisons) and the district collector was also sought to conduct the marriage inside the jail premises,” said Jajpur Jail Superintendent Bailochan Das.

The bride left for her in-laws’ place while the groom is likely to be released on bail in a week or two after his lawyer submits the marriage certificate in the court, sources said.

Apart from the Jail Superintendent, lawyers Renubala Mohanty and Babita Mishra, social organisation Inner Wheel Club’s member Chitralekha Nayak, jail staff—Diptimayee Rout, Prabodh Nayak— and family members of both the accused and the victim were present on the occasion.