Patna: A young woman was allegedly gang raped and subsequently robbed of her cash and jewellery in an area falling under the jurisdiction of Garhpura police station in Begusarai district, around 110km northeast of Patna, on Tuesday evening.
The victim was rushed to Khodawandpur primary health centre with bruises and marks of injuries on her face from where she was later referred to the Begusarai sadar hospital. The woman's statement was recorded by the police on Wednesday.
The incident took place around 4.30pm when the victim, along with her relative, was on way to Rosera Bazaar in neighbouring Samastipur district in an autorickshaw. The driver of the autorickshaw stopped the vehicle near Daulatpur Chowk and asked them to alight from the auto due to violent clashes in the sub-divisional town.
The duo were held captive near a litchi orchard on the outskirts of Shagi village when they were proceedings towards Rosera market from Daulatpur Chowk on foot. A group of five persons stopped the woman and raped her in the orchard. The offenders also snatched Rs 2,500 and gold jewellery from the victim before they made their fled the spot.
The victim's relative, also a girl, somehow managed to escape from the site and informed the local residents who reached the spot and admitted the rape survivor to the local primary health centre.
Dr Prithivi Raj, who attended the victim at the PHC, said prima facie, the incident appeared to be gang rape.
The station house officer (SHO) of Garhpura police station, Ruby Kant Kashyap, said the girl's statement had been recorded and efforts were on to nab the culprits. "She has disclosed the names of the accused, who were absconding after the incident," she said.
Kashyap's counterpart at Khodawandpur Prita Kumari said the offenders took advantage of the public unrest at Rosera and raped the woman. "The victim is undergoing treatment at the sadar hospital in Begusarai," she told The Telegraph over phone on Wednesday.
Begusarai superintendent of police Aditya Kumar said an FIR had been lodged on the statement of the victim. "The rape survivor's contradictory statement has made the matter complex. Police's priority at this stage is to provide her treatment," the SP added.
Rosera, a sub-divisional town in Samastipur district, on Tuesday witnessed violent clashes leaving half-a-dozen police personnel, including its SHO and additional SP, injured.