Minor returning from picnic gang-raped, five held

RANCHI: One minor girl was gang-raped while another was rescued from a group of rowdies who abducted them when they were returning from a picnic on Sunday night.
The incident happened at Jaratoli, a model village adopted by Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani, in Namkum police station area here. Police swung into action soon after getting a complaint and arrested five of the six accused within 24 hours of the incident.

The two minor girls, including the rape survivor, were part of a college-going students' group who went to Ramta falls in Khunit for a picnic in their two-wheelers. While they were returning, the boys among the group protested to lewd comments of the motorcycle-borne rowdies passing by. Thereafter, an altercation occured and the rowdies flashed a gun and abudcted the two girls.

The other students fled on seeing the gun and informed villagers who then rushed there and rescued one of the girls.

Police were informed soon after the incident and conducted a search operation after which they have arrested five of the culprits identified as Vikash alias Vick Nayak, Ravi Minz, David Horo, Subhash Munda and Prem Horo.

Mota alias Manoj, who is also involved in the abduction is still at large, police said, adding that all accused are in their mid twenties and hail from neighbouring Churu, Lodhma and Lal Khatanga localities.

Speaking to media, one of the accused said: "We were all drunk and had an altercation with the students on overtaking our vehicles. Manoj, who was carrying a firearm, started flashing it and we abducted the girls."

Namkum police station in-charge Praveen Kumar said, "As soon as we got the information, we launched a massive search operation and deployed three station in-charges to find the girl. One of the accused was arrested near Kharsidag outpost after which four others were also nabbed."

He added, "The 17-year-old rape survivor had undergone a medical test at Ranchi sadar hospital and is being given counselling. An FIR under POCSO and Sections 376 and 367 of the IPC has been registered against the accused."

DSP (headquarters) Amit Renu, who is supervising the investigation, said: "The culprits split up after carrying out the crime, which is why we had deployed three teams to nab them. We are carrying out raids at different locations in Tupudana, Kharsidag and the neighbouring areas of Khunti districts to nab the sixth culprit."