Odisha: Bureaucrat’s father-in-law sent to jail for raping minor tribal housemaid

Jajpur: A senior OAS officer’s father-in-law was sent to jail after his bail plea was rejected by the court in Jajpur district today. Prafulla Chandra Mohapatra, father-in-law of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Deputy Zonal Commissioner Pramod Prusty, was arrested on November 5 for allegedly raping a minor tribal housemaid.

Mohapatra was admitted to the Capital Hospital on health grounds following his arrest.

He was produced before the Jajpur Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court today. CJM Jeevana Nanda Padhi rejected Mohapatra’s bail plea and sent him to the Jajpur jail.

It is worth to be mentioned that Mohapatra allegedly raped the minor tribal housemaid from Balichandrapur area working at the OAS officer’s house on different occasions. When the minor housemaid became pregnant, her mother lodged a police complaint on November 1.

After the matter was highlighted, the OAS officer’s father-in-law was arrested on November 5.

Mohapatra has been booked under SC/ST Act, Pocso Act and different sections of IPC, a police official said.