2 held for ‘raping, torturing woman with iron rod’

Two men have been arrested for allegedly raping and torturing a 34-year-old tribal woman at Thakurpat village in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district.

Police said the two, Ratna Munda and Parimal Roy, allegedly asked the woman to meet them on Saturday night on the pretext of discussing a land deal. The woman did not suspect anything amiss as the two are her neighbours, they added.

Munda and Roy took the woman to the banks of a river about one-and-a-half km from her home and allegedly raped her. The two then allegedly tortured her by shoving an iron rod into her privates and fled leaving her in a pool of blood. A rickshaw puller rescued her in the night.

Munda and Roy were arrested on Sunday morning after police recorded the woman’s statement. West Bengal’s additional director general (law and order) Anuj Sharma said they have instructed the district police to file a charge sheet within three days. “The victim is recovering but her condition is still critical.”

The rickshaw puller first took the woman to a local hospital. She was shifted to Jalpaiguri district hospital after her condition worsened.

“The youths are in their twenties. They tortured the victim with an iron rod,” said Dhendup Sherpa, additional superintendent of police (rural).

SILIGURI/KOLKATA: