Balasore, Oct. 11: Police arrested the 65-year-old secretary of a childcare home for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old inmate here today.

Durga Prasad Jena, of Dengaramari village under Bhograi police station, had been on the run since the victim lodged a complaint on Friday.

Jena's eldest son Biplab, 42, and caretaker of the home - called Samaj Bikash Parishad - Namita Tripathy, 38, were arrested yesterday on the charge of abetment.

Jaleswar sub-divisional police officer Satyraranjan Mallick said: "We nabbed the accused and will forward him to court after interrogation."

District child protection officer Mamata Nayak said: "The residents of Samaj Bikash Parishad have been shifted to a school complex. Their food is being arranged by a local committee headed by the sarpanch."

"We have lodged the victim and her five-year-old sister in a short stay home in Balasore town," she said.

Tension erupted in the area after the incident came to light. A mob ransacked the childcare home and set ablaze some of its properties on Friday. The agitators alleged that the local police had helped the accused flee the area.

Following the incident, a large number of police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order.

Local tehsildar Harihar Jena said: "Section 144 of CrPc have been imposed since Saturday and will be in force till Monday evening."

Despite police presence, a mob torched an SUV belonging to the institution yesterday.

The local residents had also picketed on the road by burning tyres demanding immediate arrest of the accused.

Jena had been running the institution, a shelter home for distressed children in Jayrampur gram panchayat, for about 30 years now.

The victim, who hails from Jharkhand, had been staying at the home along with her younger sister. Jena allegedly assaulted her on Thursday night. She ran away to a nearby field from where she was rescued by some local residents. They saw external injury and bruises on her body.

The villagers said that similar incidents had taken place in the past but were suppressed. They also alleged that Jena had encroached on government land.

"The organisation has encroached on about 12 decimal of government land. We will take action in accordance to the law," said the tehsildar.