A teenager was allegedly gang-raped for four consecutive days in Bhojpur after being lured there on the pretext of watching the 'millennium yagna' attended by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and chief minister Nitish Kumar.
The girl was found in a semi-conscious state near Jyoti Chowk in the Buxar district headquarters town, 133km west of Patna, on Friday morning by night patrol cops. The resident of Patna's Danapur area was admitted to a government hospital where she narrated her ordeal.
Buxar superintendent of police Rakesh Kumar said the girl, stated to be mentally unstable, was examined by a team of doctors to ascertain her age and confirm her statement. A police officer said she could be 17 or 18 years of age.
'She told the police a youth had lured her to Chandwa village in Bhojpur on the pretext of showing her the yagna there. Once there, she was repeatedly raped by the youth and his three associates,' the SP quoted her as saying.
She identified the prime accused as Sonu, a resident of Danapur.
The station house officer (SHO) of the district woman police station, Kanchan Kumari, has been asked to record the girl's statementand formally lodge a case. The girl lived with her maternal uncle in Danapur after her parents died several years ago.
A police official posted in Buxar said a patrol car rushed to Kadhlayiya Pul in Buxar town after finding a girl crying for help.
'It was around 6am when the police spotted the girl. Initially, the police remained in the dark as the girl was not in a condition to narrate the ordeal,' the cop said, adding that some residents had noticed a few youths flee after dumping the girl.
The police said the youths might have brought the girl to Buxar by train. 'The youths told her they were returning to Patna by train late in the night. Instead, they took her to Buxar station and dumped her on the road before fleeing. Some residents saw a few youths fleeing from the spot,' the police officer said.
Bhojpur superintendent of police (SP) Avkash Kumar said he had requested his Buxar counterpart to send the girl's fardabayan (read statement) so that the criminals can be identified and legal action initiated against them.
Avkash said the case would be investigated by the woman police station. 'I will monitor the investigation and ensure the offenders are punished,' he said over the phone.
Buxar SP Rakesh had earlier said the case would be transferred to Bhojpur as the crime was committed in its jurisdiction. 'It's true she was found in Buxar. But the incident occurred in Bhojpur. So the case will be probed by the Bhojpur police,' he said.
The girl was sent to the Buxar sadar hospital for medical examination. Patna city superintendent of police (central) D. Amarkesh said he had no idea about the incident. 'If the Buxar police seek our help we are ready to cooperate,' said Amarkesh, who is also holding charge of Patna senior superintendent of police, as Manu Maharaaj is one leave.
The state has registered an unprecedented growth in incidents of rape since January this year. Over 700 cases of rape have been reported from the state between January and July this year, more than 230 cases were reported last year during the corresponding period.
