14 arrested over assault, burning of minor

RANCHI: Fourteen of the 18 accused have been arrested in connection with an alleged gang rape of a minor girl, who was later burnt to death in Jharkhand’s Chatra district, police said on Saturday.

“Of the 18 accused, 14 have been arrested. No one involved in the incident will be spared. We will provide security to family members till they feel secure,” Shambhu Thakur, Inspector General of Police, told reporters.

Three persons were arrested on Friday night, while 11 others were nabbed on Saturday, he said, adding that the arrested include village Mukhiya Tileshwari Devi and Panchahyat Samiti members.

In a horrific incident, a 16-year-old girl was gang raped and subsequently burnt to death in front of her family members in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Friday.

The girl was abducted by four youths from near her house and allegedly raped. The family members had gone to attend a marriage. The incident took place in Rajakendua village under Itkhori Police Station in Chatra district — around 160km from state capital Ranchi.

The issue was raised in the village Panchayat on Friday morning. The Panchayat asked the accused to pay Rs 50,000 to the victim to settle the issue. Enraged over the Panchayat diktat, the four youths went to the house of the girl, thrashed the family members and burnt her to death.