Key accused in Jharkhand Gang-Rape Arrested

On Saturday, nearly a month after the alleged gang rape of five theatre artists in the Kochang village of Khunti district, Jharkhand, a senior police officer informed the media that the prime accused has been arrested.

Baji Samad, a resident of Ludubeda village, Seraikela-Kharswan district, was arrested on Saturday, the superintendent of police (SP) of West Singhbhum district, Kranthi Kumar Gadidesi, said.

Based on information that Baji Samad was seen near Banasai village, on Saturday, a joint team was formed under the Additional Superintendent of Police (Operations), West Singhbhum, Manish Raman, , Kranthi Kumar said.

Baji Samad confessed saying he and his accomplices had committed the crime at the instigation of the self-styled leaders of Pathalgarhi (a tribal custom), the SP told PTI.

The five theatre artists of a non-government organisation (NGO) were gang-raped on 19 June by at least half a dozen men in the Kochang village of Khunti district, Jharkhand. The accused allegedly filmed the incident on their mobile phones and threatened the women that the video would become viral if they approached the police.

Speaking to Newsclick, Rekha Sharma, chairperson of the National Commission For Women (NCW) said, "Fact finding team of NCW went to the spot and found that even the police could not even go to the place where the gang rape took place and is now claiming that the accused have been associated with Pathalgarhi movement. We have full report on that and we will soon produce the details to media."

Jharkhand is among the top five states in India that have reported increasing cases of human trafficking, with the traffickers targeting poor villages and convincing vulnerable families to send their daughters away for employment, said Rishikant.