Widow gangraped in Harirampur

BALURGHAT: A shocking incident of gangrape has surfaced in the Araji Kasba area of South Dinajpur’s Harirampur, where a widow was gangraped by a group of youths. The local police have arrested five suspects in connection with the crime. The arrested individuals have been identified as Abhijit Mardi (24), Amarjit Mardi (18), Dipak Besra (25), Kailash Besra (19) and Dipak Besra (21). All five reside in the same area as the victim.

According to the police, the victim, whose husband passed away three years ago, was living alone after the marriages of her four daughters. On Thursday night, around 10 pm, while the woman was sleeping on her verandah, a group of youths allegedly gagged her and dragged her to a nearby bamboo grove, where they gangraped her. The woman managed to identify five of the youths despite the darkness but several others involved remain unidentified. Following the heinous crime, the assailants left the woman in the bamboo grove and fled.

The traumatised victim lodged a written complaint with the Harirampur Police Station on Friday night. Upon receiving the complaint, the police sent her for a medical examination and swiftly arrested the five accused from the village. The accused were presented before the Gangarampur Sub-Divisional Court on Saturday, where the judge ordered them to be held in police custody for five days. The police have launched an investigation into the incident.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer Dipanjan Bhattacharya stated: “We have initiated an investigation and ensured the victim’s safety in the village.” The victim has urged the police and authorities to ensure strict punishment for the perpetrators.