Rape case: BJD corporator Amaresh Jena arrested, suspended from party

Bhubaneswar:  Biju Janata Dal (BJD) corporator, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Amaresh Jena, was arrested on Sunday by Odisha Police in connection with the rape case.

The Commissionerate police apprehended Jena from the house of one of his relatives in the Nilagiri area of Balasore district.

Soon after his arrest, the BJD suspended Jena with immediate effect.

An official order issued by the party on behalf of the President, and communicated by Pratap Jena, Vice President (Headquarters), stated that Amaresh Jena has been suspended from the primary membership of the party.

“Amaresh Jena, Corporator, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, is hereby suspended from Biju Janata Dal with immediate effect,” reads the order.

Earlier, five people were arrested for harbouring and providing conveyance to Jena. They reportedly assisted him in evading apprehension.

On July 23, a 19-year-old girl complained to the Laxmisagar police station, alleging that the BJD corporator Jena sexually abused her on the pretext of marrying her.

The victim alleged that she first came in contact with the accused Jena during a religious programme in June 2023. After a few days, the BJD corporator reportedly gave the victim a mobile phone, professing his love for her.

As per the allegations, the accused had been in a sexual relationship with the victim since September 2023, when she was just a 17-year-old. The victim also claimed that in February 2024, when Jena came to know that she was pregnant, he forced the victim to abort the child.

However, in April 2025, Amaresh Jena allegedly assaulted the victim and ordered her to leave Bhubaneswar immediately. He also threatened her with dire consequences if she revealed their relationship to anyone.

–IANS