Burdwan, March 7: Holi turned into horror for five women living on the outskirts of Putunda village when eight miscreants forced their way into five houses one after the other yesterday and allegedly gangraped them while the menfolk were engaged in the revelry.
Eight local youth, between 25 and 30 years, have been arrested — some were identified by the victims — and remanded in judicial custody for 20 days.
The victims were sent to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, where two of them were admitted in a critical condition. The three others were released after treatment.
Hospital sources said after medical examination, rape of three victims was conformed while two others were molested. One of the victims was in an advanced stage of pregnancy and another is a teenager supposed to get married this month.
Angry villagers blocked G.T. Road for an hour this morning in protest against the incident. The local CPM took out a procession in the village last evening demanding punishment for the culprits.
Burdwan superintendent of police K.C. Meena said the eight accused were arrested following complaints. “We are waiting for the medical reports of the victims,” he added.
Police said preliminary investigation revealed the eight youth were wayward and disliked by the villagers of Putunda in Shaktigarh, about 120 km from Calcutta. “They had participated in the village Holi revelry and as the celebrations picked up, they slipped away one by one and targeted the five houses on the outskirts of the village,” a policeman said.
“I was alone at home. Suddenly three youths broke the door open and pounced on me. I tried to resist but they did not listen and gangraped me. I began to shout at the top of my voice and when villagers came rushing attracted by my cries, they fled,” said the victim whose marriage is three weeks away.
In Behrampore, a teenager was allegedly raped by a group of boys in a hotel. The police have arrested the hotel owner and two women, said to be the girl’s relatives, who had a hand in luring her to the hotel.
