Dumka
Taking suo motu cognizance of the gangrape of a Spanish woman biker in Dumka, a division bench of the Jharkhand High Court comprising Acting Chief Justice S Chandrashekhar and Justice Navneet Kumar issued notices to the State Chief Secretary, DGP and the Dumka SP in this regard.
The foreign tourist was gangraped at Kurumahat in Hansdiha police station area when she was spending the night in a tent along with her husband. Medical examination of the foreign tourist has confirmed rape, Dumka SP Pitamber Singh Kherwar said.
The 28-year-old woman and her 64-year-old husband had reached Dumka from Bangladesh on two motorcycles, and were en route to Nepal via Bihar. While the husband was tied up and beaten up, the seven accused committed the heinous crime.
Intriguingly, there has been no official confirmation about the identity of the arrested accused though several names have been doing the rounds in social media. The victim’s statement has been recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC.
The police are in contact with the Embassy of Spain in New Delhi, Kherwar said adding “They are being kept informed about the developments.”
“Legal procedures are underway. We will let you know about this later,” Khairwar said when asked when the couple would leave Jharkhand.
While National Commission for Women member Mamta Kumari also met the survivor and said it exposed the law and order situation in Jharkhand, the matter has even attained political connotations with the main opposition BJP seeking to corner the JMM-led ruling alliance on the issue.
MEANWHILE
The Dumka administration handed over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to the gang-rape survivor’s husband as compensation. He received the cheque in the presence of Deputy Commissioner A Dodde and SP Kherwar. “Prompt action has been taken in the case. We will try for early conviction of the accused,” the DC said adding the tourist couple will leave Dumka on Tuesday under police protection. “We are ready to extend any help they want,” he said. The survivor’s husband thanked Jharkhand Police for speedy action.
