Baripada: Police have arrested a woman on charges of abduction and rescued two minor girls in Karanjia area of Odisha's Mayurbhanj district today. Both the victims, about 12 years of age, were rescued from neighbouring Keonjhar district.

The accused, identified as Gitarani Patra (35), wife of one Pramod Patra of Kaithagadia village in Balasore district, was nabbed following a police complaint by one of the victim girl's father.

On Wednesday, the complainant Kamal Lochan Saha (55), a resident of Saradha village within Karanjia police limits, alleged that his 12 year-old daughter Namita Saha along with her friend Mandakini Naik had gone to the local grocery shop in the evening at around 4pm.  When she did not return, the family launched a frantic search. Kamal claimed that while looking for his daughter, he got to know that the two girls were kidnapped by unidentified miscreants in a vehicle.  

Unable to find her, they reached out to Karanjia Police who immediately started an investigation acting on the complaint.

During investigation, police traced accused Gitarani and rescued the minor victims. The motive behind the abduction is not acsertained yet. Official sources said the medical examination of the girls are being undertaken as part of the legal procedure. A case has been registered and the accused arrested under Section 137 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further probe is underway, they said.