Five women gang raped in Jharkhand

Five women – in their mid20s and early 30s -- who were staging a street play in Jharkhand were abducted and then gang-raped in a forest on Tuesday, the police said, adding that the assault was also allegedly filmed on cell-phones.

The police on Thursday confirmed that more than three men were involved in the incident; however, there have been no arrests. The police are offering Rs.50000 as reward for any information that could help identify the attackers.

The five women were associated with an NGO, Asha Kiran, which is supported by a local Christian missionary group. It works towards raising awareness on issues like human trafficking. On one such campaign, the women had gone to the nearby village of Kochang to perform a street play.

During the campaign, the women, who were a part of the drama team of the NGO, were allegedly kidnapped and then raped at gunpoint.

Their male companions were also thrashed by the unidentified persons.

Police sources said that troupes like the one that was targeted are being used by some local officials in an attempt to turn locals against Pathalgadi, an anti-establishment selfrule movement popular in several tribal villages. The sources said they are looking into whether the attack may have been caused by this tension.

The police have filed an FIR and are contacting the victims to probe all angles.