Minor girl gang-raped in Jharkhand, seven arrested

Ranchi: A minor girl was allegedly gang-raped by seven persons who were arrested within 12 hours of the crime near Bundu area, about 40km from here, police said on Thursday.

The girl, her "boyfriend" Rajesh, and his friend had set out for Jamshedpur to board a train for Pune on the intervening night of August 27 and 28 when the alleged incident occurred, said SP Saket Kumar Singh. The girl, a student of class IX, who belongs to Bundu, and the two boys chose to drop in at the residence of her "boyfriend`s" uncle near Bundu for a night halt. The seven accused intercepted them near Kumhara basti in Bundu, thrashed the two boys and chased them away before taking the girl to a secluded place where they allegedly raped her, the SP said. The two boys had in the meantime informed police, who swung into action and rescued the girl in a state of unconsciousness from near Pagla Baba Ashram in Bundu, he said, adding that she was thereupon admitted to hospital. After she regained consciousness, she narrated her plight to police who launched raids in the surrounding areas and nabbed all the accused yesterday. "The accused have confessed to the crime during interrogation," the SP said, adding that the girl`s actual age was being determined through medical tests to initiate the proper legal process. The police were also interrogating the girl`s "boyfriend", he said. The accused have been identified as Suraj Kumhar, Shiv Kumhar, Sudan Kumhar, Phijul Kumhar, Jeet Kumhar, Rajan Munda of Kumhar Toli area and Suraj Oraon of Oraon Toli. The girl is recovering at the hospital, he added. PTI