Updated on: 16th March 2023 04:26 PM IST | Mumbai

A couple was arrested after a pregnant woman in Odisha was raped by a man, while his wife recorded the incident on her phone. The investigations into the incident revealed the act was committed due to personal reasons.

A man allegedly raped his pregnant sister-in-law who lived in his neighbourhood in Odisha’s Nabarangpur district. The entire act was recorded by the man's wife on her mobile phone and was circulated on social media.

The couple is said to have threatened the victim and taken her to a local temple where she was made to vow not to mention the incident to anybody. However, the woman lodged a complaint with the police, after which the accused and his wife were arrested.

The police stated that the pregnant woman of Jagannathpur village in the Khatiguda area, Odisha, was seeking help from her relative, Padma Runjikar, for a regular check-up at a medical centre. Padma was a worker with ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist).

When the victim went for a medical check-up on February 28, Padma's husband Lilia, allegedly raped her. Padma Runjikar not only helped her husband with raping their pregnant relative but also recorded the act on her cell phone.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the couple committed the crime due to personal reasons.

A video of the incident was widely circulated on social media after which the police asked the cyber cell to take down the video from the Internet.

The police also seized the ASHA worker's mobile phone on which she recorded the rape incident.

The police further sent a letter to the department concerned to take legal action against the ASHA worker and said they would complete the investigation in 21 days.