Bhawanipatna, April 19: An absconded teacher accused of raping a 15-year-old girl student has been arrested, M Rampur Police said on Monday. The accused was absconded for more than a month.

Along with him two of his friends, Ajit Kumar Sahu and Aswini Kumar Baliarsingh, who abetted the offence and harboured him have also been arrested.

Father of the victim girl of Barabandha village had lodged a complaint on March 13 last month regarding missing of his minor daughter since March 7.

The victim girl was rescued following investigation. Based upon her statement and other witnesses police further intensified the investigation.

During the course of investigation, it was ascertained that accused Raju aka Himadri Malaya Mangaraj, who is serving as teacher at Barabandha U.G High School had  kidnapped the minor girl and took her to his rented house at Palam, where the victim girl was subjected to rape repeatedly.

After three days, the accused took the victim girl to the house of accused Ajit Kumar Sahu. Subsequently, Raju took the girl to his native village at Harikeswar under Khordha District, from where he took her to Bhubaneswar and boarded her alone in a bus, hence victim girl returned back to Palam.

Thereafter, Raju was on the run and was evading police arrest for more than one month.

Accused Muna aka Aswini Kumar Baliarsingh extended all the support to the accused for his concealment and arranged hide outs for him despite knowing very well about his involvement in rape case of a minor girl.