In a shocking incident that has once again raised serious concerns over women’s safety in the state capital, police have arrested a hotel employee for allegedly attempting to rape a 33-year-old Bengali woman from Kolkata who was staying at a hotel in Bhubaneswar.
The accused, identified as Jayant Kumar Nayak (38), a resident of Sora police station area in Balasore district, was arrested on Friday and produced before a court the same day. His bail application was rejected, and he has been sent to judicial custody.
According to police, the victim and her husband had been staying at a hotel in G.A. Colony under Bharatpur police station limits for the past four months. The woman, who suffers from breathing difficulties, was alone in her room on Thursday while her husband — who works with a mining company — was out of the city.
When the husband called her, and she did not respond, he reportedly asked hotel staff, including Jayant Kumar Nayak, to check on her. Jayant went to the room, knocked on the door, and, after the woman opened it, allegedly forced his way inside. He then tried to strip her, pulled at her clothes, and subjected her to verbal abuse with obscene remarks.
Terrified, the woman immediately informed her husband. She later lodged a complaint at Bharatpur police station, following which FIR No. 568/2026 was registered. Police have recorded her statement and sent her for medical examination.
Investigation into the exact sequence of events and motive is currently underway, said Bharatpur Police Station In-Charge Rajendra Narayan Pattnaik.
