Image used for representation | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphotos Five teachers of a private school were arrested on Saturday (February 21, 2026) for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, police said. The arrests were made after the father of the class 7 student and the district child welfare committee lodged separate complaints at the Rajkanika police station, alleging that the accused teachers had raped the minor, a senior officer said. The parents of the student approached the district child welfare committee after their daughter accused the teachers of abusing her sexually for a long period, he said. The committee initially investigated the allegation and brought the matter to the Rajkanika police station, an official said. “A complaint was lodged on February 18. After a 48-hour-long investigation, we referred the case to the police for legal action,” child welfare committee member Swagatika Patra said. The panel also directed the district education officer to carry out a separate investigation into the allegation, she said. “Based on the two complaints, the statement of the girl …