Woman held for 'rapist' murder

TT, Alipurduar, May 15: A tea garden worker died after being allegedly hit with a stone by a woman who saw him raping her mother in Birpara.

Pradeep Oraon was attacked yesterday and succumbed to his injuries today.

The 24-year-old woman who had allegedly hit Oraon with the stone was arrested today.

A police source said: "Around 7am yesterday, while a 45-year-old widow was on the way to her residence, Pradeep dragged her towards a ditch and raped her. Hearing the woman's screams, her daughter ran to the spot and tried to rescue her. The daughter said Pradeep had physically assaulted her while she tried to save her mother. In bid to save herself and her mother, she beat up Pradeep with a stone."

Medical report confirmed that the elderly woman had been raped.

Local people spotted Pradeep and admitted him to the garden hospital where he was administered two stitches on the head. Later, he was shifted to Birpara State General Hospital where he died this morning, sources said.

Pradeep's son filed a complaint against the 24-year-old woman at Birpara police station and a case under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC has been registered.

Avaru Ravindranath, the superintendent of police, Alipurduar, said: "We have started a probe and arrested a woman who will be produced in a court tomorrow."