Balangir, Aug. 12: Subalaya police in Sonepur district arrested a college student for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl.

The cops also arrested the elder brother of the accused while his mother, maternal uncle and another relative are absconding.

The main accused, a Plus Three student, was in love with the girl who is from the same village. On July 24, the boy allegedly eloped with the girl and went to Badikata village in Boudh district and stayed with a relative for a day. Later, they went to Bhubaneswar and stayed there for four days.

Local people said the two returned to Boudh and stayed in the house of the boy’s maternal uncle in Barghat village. The girl apparently intimated her family members and later they took her back to their village.

On August 4, a meeting was held in the village to amicably settle the issue. In the meeting, the boy and girl expressed their love for each other and said they were ready to marry. But the family of the boy objected to it. They allegedly abused and threatened the family members of the girl. The boy’s elder brother threatened the girl’s family with dire consequences, said a villager.

Following the meeting, the family members of the girl advised her to lodge a police complaint against the boy and his family. In her complaint lodged on Saturday evening, she named the boy, his uncle, mother, another relative and his elder brother. The police arrested the boy and his elder brother while his mother, uncle and the relative are absconding.

On Sunday, the boy and the girl were sent for medical examination.

Inspector in charge of Subalaya police station Lalita Lakra said that police arrested the boy and his elder brother. “We arrested the boy and his brother immediately. We are working hard to nab the other accused. We will arrest them soon,” she said.