Two arrested, all accused identified in Khunti gangrape case

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Jharkhand police have arrested two and identified the remaining four accused in the gangrape of five NGO activists in Khunti at gunpoint a few days ago.

Five women working with a NGO were allegedly raped at gunpoint by the men when they had gone to Chochang village in Jharkhand to create awareness on migration and human trafficking.

ADG RK Mallik told ANI that the arrested duo had revealed that they wanted to “teach a lesson” to the women because they were of the view the street play will show anti-Pathalgadi sentiments. Those allegedly involved in the crime were ‘Pathalgarhi’ (a practice in which villagers inscribe various tenets on huge stone slabs and ban outsiders in their area).

According to SP Ashwini Kumar Sinha, an 11-member team of an NGO went to the village to perform a street play on migration and human trafficking.

The National Commission for Women on Friday constituted a three-member inquiry team to investigate the alleged gang-rape case of five women in Jharkhand. According to reports, the commission has written to the state DGP asking him to inform the NCW about the actions taken in the case.

Meanwhile, the police also booked the head of the Kochange village school from where the women were allegedly abducted and later gangraped.

Read More: Jharkhand gang-rape: NCW forms committee to investigate case

“While an FIR was filed on Thursday against unidentified persons involved in the gangrape in Khunti district, another case was registered against Father Alfonso Alien at the Arki police station on Friday, said Khunti Superintendent of Police Aswini Kumar Sinha.

Father Alfonso Alien, who runs the missionary school from where the women were abducted, was detained on Thursday for questioning and later released on a personal bond.

The SP also said the statements of the victims and their colleagues were recorded under section 164 of the CrPC.