One held for ‘raping’ a mentally unstable woman

Siliguri: On Monday, a case of alleged abduction and gang rape came to light from the Phansidewa block, under the jurisdiction of Bidhan Nagar Police Outpost.

One person has been arrested while police have launched a hunt for the other perpetrators.The victim, a mentally unstable woman, was reportedly abducted and raped by three individuals on her way home late at night.

The arrested has been identified as Mohammad Zahirul (27 years old), a resident of the Surigach area in the Darjeeling district. According to reports, on the night of September 6, when the woman was returning home alone on foot, three men allegedly forced her into a vehicle and took her to a nearby pineapple plantation. They allegedly raped her and dumped her in an abandoned area. A local woman saw the incident and helped the victim return home. Later, the victim’s family members lodged a written complaint at the Bidhan Nagar police outpost on Sunday night. Soon after the complaint was filed, Bidhan Nagar police arrested Zahirul within eight hours. He was produced in the Siliguri Court on Monday.

The victim has been sent for medical examination at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital. Police have started searching for the rest of the accused. Recently, two people were arrested on allegations of rape and molestation in two different areas under the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad.

A youth was arrested for allegedly raping a physically challenged Adivasi woman, while another man was arrested on allegations of molesting a 13-year-old minor.