RANCHI: In an appalling incident, five anti-trafficking activists were gang-raped allegedly by Patthalgadi supporters on Tuesday at Kochang under Arki Police Station in Khnti after being picked up from a missionary school while performing 'nukkar natak' by a group of bike ridden villagers.
The villagers were also said to have made a video of the incident, which continued for over three hours, and threatened them that they will make it viral if they informed the police. "The team, engaged with an NGO supported by Christian missionaries, were abducted by 5-6 motorcycle-borne armed men while they were performing a street play at RC Mission School in Khunti's Kochang block, about 90 km from Ranchi, on Tuesday afternoon," said DIG (Ranchi Range) AV Homkar.
The perpetrators forced all of them to sit inside the cars and took them to a nearby secluded place and raped the five girls, he added. "It is believed that they were all 'Patthalgadi' supporters," said Homkar. It is also being said that they were punished for working on behest of administration, added the DIG. Remarkably, the incident took place on Tuesday, but the matter was informed to the Police on Wednesday and was leaked in media by Thursday evening.
Police said that the team had gone to the village to perform a street play against human trafficking. During the play, some of the villagers allegedly objected their performance which inflicted an argument between them following which the incident took place. Meanwhile, a case of gang rape against unknown persons has been registered at Arki Police Station and there persons are also said to have been identified for which search was on by forming three separate teams by the Police.