Berhampur, Aug. 31: A betel shop owner was arrested for allegedly raping a six-year-old girl at Bhanjanagar in Ganjam on Friday.

Aswini Kumar Sahu of Bhanjanagar police station said that the girl had gone to buy a packet of milk when the accused, Siba Sahu, lured her with a chocolate and took her inside the shop and raped her.

“We have recorded the statement of the girl and also conducted a medical examination on the accused. He has been forwarded to the court,” said Aswini.

Sahu had escaped from the village after committing the crime. The police nabbed him from his native village at Jamapalli by tracking his mobile phone.

He had been booked under 376 and 4 of Protection of Children for Sexual Offence Act, 2012 and is now lodged in Bhanjanagar sub-jail after the judge rejected his bail application.

In another incident, the family of a 10-year-old tribal minor girl lodged a case against a student of Plus Two after he entered into a physical relationship with the girl after promising to marry her.

The girl, a resident of Jarimundia village under Khallikote police station in Ganjam district, recently gave birth to a child.

The accused, Sagar Pradhan, a student of Ram Chandra Science College, had promised to marry her, but later disagreed.

“Sagar promised to marry my daughter and I came to know about the affair only when she became pregnant. His family members agreed to the marriage proposal when a tribal meeting was held at Nirmaljhar, but later deceived my girl,” alleged the mother.

She lodged a case against Sagar with the Khallikote police station. “We are trying to settle the dispute between the couple,” S.K. Thopa, inspector in-charge of the police station, said.