Village tense 

Kendrapara: Tension prevailed at Kora village, about 15km from the district headquarters town, after suspected animal meat was found dumped in the village community well. Security has been stepped up at the village and two platoons of armed police have been deployed.

Rape arrest

Balasore: Police have arrested a 32-year-old man for allegedly raping a college girl at a lodge in Digha. The accused had befriended the girl and taken her to Digha where he committed the crime. The accused, Arup Pradhan, was sent to jail after his bail plea was rejected. 

Croc attack 

Kendrapara: A 60-year-old fisherwoman was critically injured on Thursday when a salt-water crocodile attacked her at a creek of Kharinasi village under Mahakalpada police station limits. The victim, Akhila Gayan, was fishing in the crocodile-infested water body when the incident occurred. 

Protest

Bhubaneswar: The women’s wing of state Congress staged a demonstration in front of Naveen Nivas on Thursday demanding the resignation of health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak following the infant deaths at Sishu Bhavan in Cuttack.

Fire mishap

Bhubaneswar: Five persons were critically injured after a gas cylinder burst at Athgarh in Cuttack. The injured are being treated at SCB Medical College and Hospital.

Jailed

Bhubaneswar: The Balasore district judge on Monday awarded life  imprisonment to a 60-year-old for hacking a woman to death at a village in the district two years ago. The court also slapped a penalty of Rs 2,000 on the accused, Parikhita Dalei. Parikhita, a native of Gobindapur village, had killed Santana Dalei, 62, of the same village following an altercation over a minor issue on June 28, 2010.

Celebration

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Sahitya Academy is going to celebrate the birth centenary of Binode Kanungo, compiler of Jnan Mandal, a famous Odia encyclopedia. The celebration will commence from Wednesday at the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya. 

Sports boost

Cuttack: The Odisha Olympic Association has decided to add 17 new districts of the state along with affiliating two state sports associations.

Rape verdict

Kendrapara: The district and sessions judge of Kendrapara sentenced a 59-year-old man to 10 years rigorous imprisonment on Thursday after convicting him for raping a seven-year-old girl a 
year ago. Pitambar Nayak had lured the victim with chocolates. The incident had triggered huge public outcry.

Name change

Bhubaneswar: The state government has changed the name of the information technology department. It is now known as the electronics and information technology department. 

Fraud cuffs

Balasore: Police arrested a 50-year-old man for cheating people of lakhs of rupees with promises of providing land. The accused, Kailash Chandra Mohanty, collected the money but never provided the land.