Phulbani: A 55-year-old man was arrested on Thursday allegedly for raping an eight-year-old girl in Kandhamal district.

The accused, Prasanna Behera, has been arrested following the complaint lodged by the girl's father.

The alleged incident took place on June 2 when the girl, a Class-III student of a government-run primary school, was bathing at a community tubewell in the village.

Finding her alone, the accused forcibly took her away to a deserted house located nearby and raped her there after gagging her mouth with cotton clothes. After committing the crime, Behera had warned her of dire consequences if she dared to reveal anything about the matter to her parents, said inspector of Khajuripada police station Antita Kiddu.

Police have recorded the girl's statement. A case under Section 376 (rape), Section 557 (Assault or criminal force in attempt wrongfully to confine a person), Section 342 (wrongful confinement) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, has been registered.

As many as 13 minor girls were either raped or molested in Kandhamal district in the past one month. The offenders in almost all the reported cases were either known to the girls or were from the people living in their neighbourhoods.

Five held for gambling

Police on Thursday arrested five persons for allegedly gambling near the block office in Kendrapara.