Patna, Oct. 10: Three persons, one of them a former Ranvir Sena member, was arrested in Bhojpur today for allegedly outraging the modesty of six Scheduled Caste women, three of them minors, at gunpoint on Wednesday night.

Police took the three accused, including Neelnidhi Singh — a self-proclaimed former area commander of the erstwhile Ranvir Sena — into custody only after chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi directed the officials concerned to nab the culprits within 24 hours and ensure speedy trial.

The incident occurred on Wednesday evening when the women, engaged in rag picking, had gone to sell scrap to Neelnidhi, a scrap dealer at Kurmuri village under the jurisdiction of Sikarhatta police station. Neelnidhi allegedly forced them to consume liquor and later he and his two associates raped them at gunpoint.

But one of the women escaped and reported the matter to relatives in an adjacent village. The relatives of the victims, including three girls aged 12, rushed to Kurmuri. The victims were taken to the police station where their statement was recorded.

In the FIR, the women said their alleged tormentors had threatened them with dire consequences if they reported the matter to the police. “They are influential people and threatened to kill our near and dear ones if the matter was reported to anyone,” a woman told the police.

Bhojpur superintendent of police (SP) Rajesh Kumar said a medical examination of the women was conducted at Ara Sadar hospital on Friday. “The report is awaited. The police swung into action and arrested all three accused, Neelnidhi Singh, his brother Jai Prakash and Yugal Bhagat,” he said.

Neelnidhi was earlier associated with Ranvir Sena, the outlawed private army of landowners, the police said.

Earlier in the day, residents of nearby villages, mostly inhabited by Scheduled Caste members, blocked the Ara-Piro Road. They were demanding chief minister Manjhi’s visit to the spot and adequate compensation for the women, who belong to the musahar (rat-eater) community. Manjhi himself is a musahar.

The Bhojpur SP and district magistrate (DM) Pankaj Kumar Pal visited the spot and pacified the protesters. The road blockade was lifted only after the DM talked about the arrest of the accused and provided Rs 90,000 each as compensation to the victims.

Manjhi had directed the police to file a chargesheet at the earliest and ensure speedy trial. The DM was also told to provide jobs to the women and extend benefits under Indira Awaas Yojana and other schemes. He also warned action for callousness, if any. Earlier, inspector-general (weaker sections) Arvind Pandey spoke to the Bhojpur DM and SP and issued necessary instructions as the victims belonged to the Scheduled Caste.

Sources said the Maoists have threatened an agitation.

Notice to DM, SP

The Bihar Human Rights Commission on Friday issued notices to the Bhojpur DM and SP directing them to submit action taken reports in the case, including police response and compensation to the women under SC/ST (Prevention of atrocities) Rules, 1995, by October 31.