Police here arrested a bus conductor on Tuesday allegedly for raping and killing his lover, a minor girl, whose decomposed body was recovered from a haystack near a football field in Malipada village under lepripada police limits on Friday last. The deceased had gone missing since June 20.
The girl (17) of Tikilipada under the Hemgiri police limits had gone missing from her home after failing in the Plus Two examination. She had taken Rs 10,000 from her home. The family members had searched for her but in vain and finally reported the matter at the Balinga police outpost on June 25. On June 30, her body was spotted by locals.
A police team led by Sundargarh SDPO PK Mohanty and a magistrate and a scientific team reached the spot. The family members identified the body from her chappal, dress and airbag. On Tuesday, the lepripada police arrested Manbat Pradhan. He works as a conductor in a bus and is a resident of Magarkunda village in lepripada. Manbat told police that a love relationship between him and the girl had started three months ago. On June 20, the girl had dialed in his mobile and he had asked her to come to Sundargarh. The girl had told in his house that she was going to college for form fill-up. Both shared sometime together in Sundargarh town before coming to the Malipada football field. On a haystack, Manbat allegedly raped her.
The girl told Manbath to take her to his home and marry her. When Manbath refused, the girl insisted him to marry her. Manbath, in a fit of rage, slapped her, after which she went unconscious there.
Thereafter, Manbath pressed her neck by her scarf and killed her.