A taekwondo coach was arrested in Puri on charge of rape after nine orphan children and a 23-year-old girl were rescued from two illegally run homes from separate places in the city, police said on Friday.
Manmohan Bhanja, a taekwondo coach, was held on Thursday after three orphan boys and a girl were rescued from a rented house in Baliapanda area, DSP Pravat Routray said.
Police said the coach was arrested under the provisions of IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, as he was running the home in which the three orphans and the girl were staying.
The girl and other orphan children were produced on Friday before the court of sub-divisional magistrate, Puri, which recorded their statements. The girl in her statement accused Bhanja for raping her following which he was arrested.
In another incident, six minor orphans, including four girls were rescued by the Puri district child welfare committee with the help of police from an illegally run orphanage in a rented house in Abakash lane of the pilgrim town.
