Jajpur, Sept. 24: Police arrested a 33-year-old man from Nagpur in Maharashtra for allegedly raping his 17-year-old sister-in-law in a vehicle at Sukinda here and throwing her out of the moving car.

The accused, identified as Baruna Mahanta of Santara village, was picked up from Nagpur on September 20. Sukinda police have registered cases against Baruna under sections 376 (rape) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code, said Tofan Bagh, inspector in charge of Sukinda police station, adding that Baruna was produced before court today, and later, remanded in judicial custody.

“We have seized the vehicle used in the crime,” said Bagh.

The victim had initially been admitted to Sukinda government hospital in a critical condition on September 10, but later, was shifted to a private hospital in Cuttack after her condition had deteriorated. Her condition is now stated to be stable, said the police.

Family members of the victim lodged a police complaint on September 18, though the incident had occurred on September 10.

Baruna had been on the run since the day of the incident and there was a hue and cry in the town with social activists and political parties demanding his immediate arrest. He was working in Nagpur and had come here on a holiday.

The victim’s father, who also happens to be the accused’s father-in-law, in his complaint with Sukinda police, said Baruna had visited them at Sansailo around 11am on September 10. He took his 17-year-old sister-in-law to a nearby market in his car to buy her a new dress. The girl is studying in Plus Two in a college at Jajpur Road.

Later in the evening, Baruna informed his in-laws that the girl had been admitted to a hospital and he asked them to come to the hospital as soon as possible.

“On reaching the hospital the family members found their daughter lying in a bed with deep wounds on her head, back and legs. They did not find their son-in-law at the hospital. Later, they shifted her to another hospital in Cuttack after her condition deteriorated,” said Bagh, quoting the FIR.

Hundreds of Mahila Congress activists had gheraoed Sukinda police station on September 19, protesting against alleged police inaction in the incident.

They had demanded the administration to bear the victim’s medical expenses. The state BJP’s Mahila Morcha, too, had sent a delegation to meet the victim and accused the police of trying to shield the accused.