Jagatsinghpur: A man allegedly raped a woman after giving her a lift on his motorcycle in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district. Police have arrested the accused while he was allegedly trying to flee the area.

The accused has been identified as Vijay Kumar Swain, a resident of Brahmapur Mahira area under Jagatsinghpur police limits. He was apprehended from the Badabazar area of Jagatsinghpur town today while attempting to escape by bus. His bail plea was rejected by the court, following which he was sent to jail.

According to reports, the accused and the victim live in different localities of the same area. On the day of the incident, the woman reportedly sought a lift from the accused to go to the market as he was passing by on his motorcycle. However, instead of dropping her at the destination, the accused allegedly diverted the vehicle to a secluded forested spot and raped her.

When the woman raised an alarm, the accused fled from the scene. He did not return home immediately and went into hiding. Last night, he reportedly visited his house, collected clothes, cash and some daily-use items, and reached Badabazar this morning to leave the district by bus.

Police tracked his mobile phone location and arrested him. During interrogation, he reportedly confessed to his involvement in the crime.

Based on the complaint lodged by the victim, Jagatsinghpur police registered a case against him. The victim’s statement has been recorded.

A scientific team examined the crime scene and collected samples, which have been sent to the State Forensic Science Laboratory for examination.