Three 'rape' incidents rock Hills

SNS, KURSEONG, 14 November: Three incidents of rape that have surfaced in the past around 15 days have rocked the Hills.

While two minors were allegedly raped some days ago, a 24-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two persons in a village near Kurseong yesterday. Sources later said police have arrested two persons in this connection.

In one of the earlier cases, a 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her step-father in Sonada in Darjeeling in the wee hours of 11 November. The victim's mother has filed an FIR against the accused step-father, who is absconding. In the other case, a 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped by an unidentified person in a village in Kurseong on 27 October, while her mother was found dead in her bed two days later. "The victim used to live with her mother and grandfather at a house in the village, but the girl was alone in the house when the incident happened," sources said.

According to the investigating officer in the case at the Kurseong Police Station, Inspector (LSI) Rohita Lama, the minor girl is undergoing treatment and is being counseled at a home in Darjeeling. "The victim is presently not in a position to disclose the identity of the accused," she said.

According to Ms Lama, investigations into the two other cases are still going on.

Ms Lama said that the victim's mother was a divorcee and had been living with her daughter for the past 10 years.

"She was also a habitual drinker," police said.

Local sources and unconfirmed reports, however, said that the unidentified person could be a man who may have been in a relationship with the victim's mother.

A separate case has also been registered at the Kurseong PS on the woman's death.

"The cause of the death is yet to be ascertained, while we are awaiting the post-mortem report," said investigation officer, ASI Sita Pradhan. She, however, added that preliminary investigations have suggested that the woman's death was natural.

(Source & Courtesy: http://epaper.thestatesman.com/1896130/Siliguri-The-Statesman/15th-November-2018#page/15/2)