Rayagada, Nov 19: A woman was allegedly raped after being taken to a forest under the pretext of being offered shelter in Rayagada district, a source said Wednesday.

The suspect linked to the incident has been detained at Rayagada police station and is being questioned at the time of filing this report, the source added.

According to the source, a couple from Koraput district was returning from Tamil Nadu, where they had gone for migrant labour work and arrived in Rayagada by train around 8pm on Monday.

While waiting at the bus stand to travel home, an unknown youth reportedly told them no transportation would be available at night and offered them shelter at his house.

Trusting the man, the couple followed him to Koila Sahi in Rayagada town. The suspect allegedly told the woman to stay back while he took her husband to inspect the night shelter. After walking some distance, he reportedly seated the husband at a shop on the pretext of arranging food.
He then allegedly returned and misled the woman, claiming he was taking her to her husband. Instead, he took her towards a nearby forest near Koila Sahi, where he is accused of raping her.

When the youth did not return for a long time, locals informed the husband that the man had taken his wife away. The woman later returned in tears and narrated the incident to her husband, who then lodged an FIR at Rayagada police station.

Acting on the complaint, police conducted a medical examination of the survivor and launched an investigation under the supervision of Rayagada SDPO Gourahari Sahu. A scientific team was taken to the crime scene, where police recovered a handkerchief and a cap believed to belong to the accused.