Adivasi woman gang-raped in Bengal; one held

BARDHAMAN: An Adivasi woman was allegedly dragged to a paddy field and raped by three men after she went out to relieve herself in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district, police said on Wednesday.

A woman was with the three men and she helped them in committing the crime on Tuesday night, Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Dhruba Das said.

One of the three accused men, who is also an Adivasi, was arrested, he said adding that all the four had their faces covered with 'gamcha' (traditional cotton towel) during the rape.

According to the victim's statement to the police, the incident happened at Sakra village under Nadanghat police station area when the woman went out of her home to attend to natures call at around 10.30 pm.

When she was returning, four persons including a woman stopped her holding a sharp weapon at her neck.

They dragged her to a paddy field where the men took turns to rape her while the woman accompanying them helped them, the victim alleged.

At one point of time, she managed to flee and hid elsewhere in the paddy field.

After the accused left, she returned home and informed her family of the incident.

The victim was admitted to Kalna Superspeciality Hospital on Wednesday morning, the police officer said.

Search is on to nab the other accused, the ASP said.