A village mukhiya and two others were arrested on Wednesday for raping a 24-year-old woman on Monday evening when she was returning home with her husband from a rural haat.

Namodih village mukhiya Durga Dehri and his aides Devendra Dehri and Sonu Dehri allegedly accosted the couple in rebel-hit Jhikra village, tied the husband to a tree, dragged the wife to a nearby forest and took turns in raping her.

They had also threatened to kill the couple when she resisted. The woman, who fell unconscious during the assault, on Tuesday approached the police.

Based on her statement, a team was formed on the orders of Dumka SP Y.S. Ramesh on Tuesday itself.

The mukhiya and two others were arrested from Namodih on Wednesday, sub-divisional police officer Animesh Naithani said.