17 Accused in Gang Rape of 35-Yr-Old Woman in Jharkhand

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(Photo Courtesy: Aasawari Kulkarni/Feminism In India)

At least 17 men have been booked and one held for allegedly raping a 35-year-old woman after holding her husband hostage in Jharkhand's Dumka.

The woman was returning from the weekly market in their town at night with her husband when the incident happened, police said on Wednesday, 10 December.

“As per the statement of the woman, she was retuning with her husband from village market on Tuesday night when 17 people intercepted her and took her husband hostage before committing the crime,” Santhal region deputy inspector general Sudarshan Mandal told Hindustan Times.

He added that a medical examination of the woman, who is also a mother of five, was conducted and the cops are awaiting results.

The National Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and has directed the DGP of Jharkhand Police to complete probe in two months. It has also sought a detailed report from Dumka Police.

Crimes Against Women on Rise

An average of 87 rape cases was recorded every single day in India, in 2019.

NCRB data shows that the rate of crime against women has risen by 7.3 percent in 2019, as compared to the same period in 2018.

“Majority of cases under crime against women under IPC were registered under ‘cruelty by husband or his relatives’ (30.9%), followed by ‘assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty’ (21.8%), ‘kidnapping & abduction of women’ (17.9%) and ‘rape’ (7.9%),” the NCRB report said.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times)