Sarpanch held for trying to rape woman

A Sarpanch was arrested for allegedly trying to rape a married woman at Banamalipur village in Jajpur district, the police said today.

Tapas Chandra Ray, Sarpanch of Majhipada gram panchayat, was arrested from Cuttack yesterday after police launched a manhunt on the basis of an FIR filed by the 30-year-old woman.

As per the complaint, Ray, a father of two, went to the house of the woman in Banamalipur while she was alone in her house on March 31 night. The Sarpanch locked the door from inside and tried to rape her, the police said quoting the FIR.

When she raised an alarm, the accused fled her house.

The woman narrated the incident to her husband after he returned home the same night. The victim filed a complaint with the police the next day, police said.

"Based on the complaint, we conducted medical examination on the victim and recorded her statement under Section 164 of CrPC. We also started a manhunt to arrest the accused as he was on the run since filing of complaint against him by the woman," they said.

After a three week long chase, police finally to arrested the accused from Cuttack.