Siliguri, April 4: The presence of only four armed policemen on the 4084 Up Delhi-Alipurduar Mahananda Express and eight persons (three of them children) in the unreserved coach were the two key factors behind the gang rape and dacoity on it last night.

The train was almost six hours late, running well into the night, making conditions favourable for the rapists.

Seventeen-year-old Sushila Oraon (name changed), a resident of Rungamuttee Tea Estate in Malbazar, was gang-raped by four youths on Seat No. 32 in the 90-seater coach (14/903) between the Siliguri Junction and New Mal Junction stations.

A youth from Bagrakote has been detained and interrogated by the GRP in Malbazar tonight.

“Sushila works as a maid in Delhi and was returning home with two other girls who are also from the same garden,” said M.S. Punia, the superintendent of railway police, Siliguri, today.

“Four criminals boarded the train at Siliguri Junction around 8pm and, no sooner had the train left the station, they took out daggers and other weapons, intimidating the passengers and demanding their cash and belongings.”

Sushila, accompanied by Sonam Kuzur, 21, and Riya Oraon, 20, (names changed), was travelling with another family. “When she resisted, the youths pounced on her and raped her repeatedly in front of us. They teased and threatened us if we raised any protest,” Sonam said.

When the train reached New Mal Junction around 9pm, the victim went to the GRP. Officials there interrogated her for almost three hours before registering a complaint. Sushila was then taken to Malbazar Subdivisional Hospital. The Malbazar police also registered a case and helped her reach home. Today, she was taken to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital for examination.

Punia defended the deployment of only four armed guards on the train. “Since it runs in our area during the day, we have four guards. But yesterday, the train was running very late. We are short of manpower and it is not possible for us to provide more men on each train.”