Bhubaneswar, Jul 27: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Corporator Amaresh Jena has been sent to Jharpara jail on Sunday after his bail plea was rejected by the local court.

Jena was arrested in connection with a sexual assault case involving a minor girl, following a multi-district manhunt by the Commissionerate Police.

The survivor, now 19, alleged that Jena began sexually exploiting her in 2023, when she was just 17 years old.

According to the complaint of the victim, Jena promised marriage and later coerced her into terminating a two-month pregnancy in February 2024 using abortion pills, without medical supervision. She also accused him of criminal intimidation and using his political influence to silence her.

Jena was apprehended from Nilagiri in Balasore district after evading arrest for several days.

Police also arrested five of his associates for allegedly helping him hide. He has been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including rape, forced miscarriage, obscenity, and criminal intimidation, along with Section 6 of the POCSO Act.

After being brought to Bhubaneswar for interrogation, Jena was produced before the court, where his bail plea was denied. He was subsequently remanded to judicial custody and sent to Jharpara jail pending further legal proceedings.

The BJD swiftly suspended Jena from the party’s primary membership. Senior leader Ashok Panda reiterated the party’s zero-tolerance stance on crimes against women, stating that Jena would face strict action if found guilty.

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