Mentally-deranged woman gang-raped near Jamshedpur, one arrested 

Jamshedpur: A 28-year-old mentally-deranged woman was allegedly gang-raped at a field under Patamda police station area of the district. Following a complaint by the victim, the police on Monday arrested one of the three accused who indulged in the crime.

The arrested person was identified as Rajkumar Pradhan, a resident of Station Road area in Gamharia in the Seraikela-Kharsawan. The remaining two accused are beyond police reach.

The victim was allegedly raped by the three on Sunday evening while she was in the paddy field.

SP (Rural), Mukesh Lunayat confirmed the rape incident but expressed his doubt about whether it is a case of gang rape. “It is too early to comment. From the investigation carried out so far, it was confirmed that the woman was raped by the accused, Rajkumar Pradhan, but it is yet to be confirmed whether the remaining two had also committed the crime. The victim has been sent to the MGM medical college hospital for medical examination,” said Lunayat.

Several cases of crime against women have been reported in the district. Even cases relating to cheating minor girls in the guise of love and marriage too have gone up.

Experts blame it on slack police administration which is said to be indifferent to control criminal activities and influx of criminals from outside.  “Failure of police in arresting rape accused and people’s reluctance to file FIR regarding rape are some of the factors behind rising molestation cases”, said an activist working for NGO.

A police official said that crime cannot be controlled till there is a change in human consciousness. However, police are trying to give exemplary punishment to criminals. “We need to hold discussions in high schools and colleges, in forums where films are screened and discussed, where good films are juxtaposed with stupid ones and students taught to be discriminating. We need to have women police arrest men who harass women. We need to have local newspapers and TV channels highlight abuse, to be watch dogs so that the men who perpetrate sexual crimes do not do so with impunity,” said the social worker.