In a shocking incident, a youth on the premises of the Lord Jagannath temple allegedly raped a minor girl with a physical disability in the Baripada district of Odisha, police said on Sunday.
According to police, the incident took place on Friday night when the 10-year-old girl had gone inside the temple for darshan at a time when the premises was deserted.
Taking advantage of the situation, 28-year-old Gurucharan Behera lured the girl by offering her a chocolate and then allegedly raped her at the temple’s bathing altar, police added.
The survivor was later rescued from the spot in a critical condition. Initially admitted to PMR college and hospital, the girl was shifted to a hospital in Cuttack after her condition deteriorated.
Angry locals captured the accused and thrashed him before handing him over to the police.
The police has registered a case against the accused, after receiving a complaint from the victim’s father.
After the incident, Baripada sub-collector S.K. Purohit visited the spot and sanctioned ₹10,000 for the treatment of the girl, the police said.