PATNA: A woman in northern Bihar was allegedly gang-raped by six men belonging to a Maoist outfit as punishment for refusing to join the outfit as a cadre.
The married woman, a resident of West Champaran district bordering Uttar Pradesh and in her late thirties, was approached by six armed men who belonged to an outfit owing allegiance to Maoist ideology and methods on Tuesday evening and asked her to join their outfit, said police. When she clearly told them she did not want to join the group, the six men returned and came again in the night to perpetrate the crime.
“They were carrying guns in their hands. They came again in the night when I was sleeping. They forcibly lifted me and took me to an open field outside the village, where they did this,” said the woman to police on Wednesday. Based on her allegations and descriptions, officials at Kangli police station registered an FIR and sent her for a medical examination.
The incident created panic and resentment among villagers. Although West Champaran district is not known as a hub of Maoist activities, there have been reports lately of the leftwing rebels working to expand their base there.
“An FIR has been registered against six unidentified men. We are conducting raids to nab the culprits based on the victim’s allegations. The report of her medical examination is awaited,” said Umashankar Prasad, a sub-inspector at Kangli police station.
Although it is not clear which Maoist outfit the culprits belonged to, Prasad said it appears that they were from what is known in the area as Democracy Party.
“It is a serious attack on a woman by men holding arms. She was gang-raped at gunpoint. The rapists should be immediately arrested and given exemplary punishment as per law,” said Meenakshi Swaraj, a woman’s rights activist.