Tribal teenager gang-raped in Siliguri

EOI, Siliguri, 29 July 2013: Security of women is completely on the wane in West Bengal including in Siliguri, with an incident of gang-rape being reported today. 

Police sources said the victim, a 17-year-old tribal girl from Damdim in the Dooars region, had been working for a household in Kalimpong for some time. 

She had hitched a ride in a truck on Sunday to come to Siliguri, and seeing her alone and helpless, the driver and two of his accomplices raped her on the way. 

The victim was reportedly drugged that made her lose consciousness following which the trio committed the heinous act. She was dumped at the Dagapur Truck Stand in Rajib Nagar near Darjeeling More, added the police sources. 

Meanwhile, some locals of Rajib Nagar and a few truck drivers at the stand have said the girl was raped inside a godown in the area by five men including the truck driver who had brought her from Kalimpong. They further said the men forced her to drink alcohol before committing the crime. The victim reported the incident to the Pradhan Nagar police station on Sunday after an NGO came to her aid. 

The police have so far nabbed three people suspected to be involved in the incident. Siliguri police commissioner K Jayaraman said, “Three men have been arrested following the incident and investigations are ongoing.” 

The trio was present before Siliguri court on Monday and sent to five days’ police remand. The accused have been identified as Madhusudan Karji (29), Pingai Lama (28) and Kundan Lama (27), said police sources, adding the victim will be sent for a medical examination.