Five women engaged in anti-human trafficking campaign through a non-government organisation (NGO) have been gang-raped in Khunti district of Jharkhand, police said.
The incident happened on June 19 when all the women, including a married one, had gone to R.C. Mission School in Kochang village under the Arki police station of Khunti district, some 90 km from Ranchi.
The women were engaged in the campaign through nukkad natak (street plays) in the area.
Police officials said some motorcycle- borne armed men abducted the women — who were performing at the R.C. Mission School — took them to secluded place and gang-raped them.
The culprits also recorded the incident on their mobile phones and threatened the women it would be made ‘viral’, if they approached police.
“The perpetrators released the women after three hours... a case has been lodged and manhunt is being launched to arrest those involved in this heinous act,” said Ranchi Range Deputy Inspector General of Police, A.V. Homkar.
Three separate teams of police have been constituted to nab the criminals, some of whom have been identified, he said.
''Pathalgadi'' movement
Police said those involved in the crime were also involved in the ''pathalgadi'' (stone engraving) movement in the area.
''Pathalgadi'' is a tribal movement picking up in Jharkhand villages where giant stone plaques are erected declaring their gram sabha as the only sovereign authority and banning ‘outsiders’, including government officials, from their area.
Kochang is one of several villages in Khunti district where the ''pathalgadi'' movement has, of late, gained political and social steam.
But, those involved with the movement have denied their involvement. They said it was all police propaganda to defame them.
