Odisha Police rescued a woman from the Ratanpur Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar after she allegedly fled into the forest while escaping an attempted rape, officials said on Sunday. A large-scale search operation involving drones, flare guns and rocket fireworks was launched after the woman contacted police for help but was unable to identify her exact location inside the dense forest.

According to police, the woman had taken a lift on a motorcycle from the Khurda bus stand. Investigators alleged that the rider diverted the vehicle towards the Ratanpur Reserve Forest with the intention of sexually assaulting her. Officials said the accused allegedly attempted to rape the woman, but she resisted and managed to escape into the forest to save herself.

While fleeing, the woman reportedly lost her way inside the reserve forest and later contacted the police using her mobile phone. Since the GPS location on her phone was disabled, officers faced difficulty in locating her. Police then mobilised around 50 personnel from the Infovalley, Jatani and Khandagiri police stations under the supervision of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Zone III) to carry out an extensive search operation.

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To trace her location, police deployed drones to scan the forest area while also using flare guns and rocket fireworks to help the woman identify the direction of the rescue teams. The coordinated operation enabled the woman to navigate towards the police personnel, following which she was rescued safely without sustaining any serious injuries.

Officials said the woman was initially reluctant to file a formal complaint. However, after counselling by the police, she agreed to register a case. Based on her complaint, an FIR for attempted rape was registered at the Infovalley Police Station, and the accused was subsequently arrested. Police also seized the motorcycle allegedly used during the incident.

The investigation into the case is continuing, with police examining all available evidence and recording statements from those involved. Authorities said appropriate legal action will be taken against the accused in accordance with the law. The incident has also highlighted the use of modern technology, including drones, in assisting search and rescue operations in difficult terrain.

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