32-yr-old healthcare worker raped by 4 including minor in Chhattisgarh; 3 held

According to the FIR, the accused tied up the woman with a rope before raping her. They also recorded a video of the incident and threatened to kill her if she informed the police.

ASP Nimesh Baraiya | ANI File

New Delhi: A 32-year-old nurse was allegedly gangraped by four people, including a 17-year-old minor, at a healthcare centre in a village in Chhattisgarh’s Koriya district, police officials said Sunday.

The incident took place on Friday (21 October) afternoon in the village. The woman belongs to a tribal community, according to ANI report.

Dipak Saini, Station House Officer (SHO) Jhagrakhand town, said that the incident took place at a sub-health centre, a government facility, in the village.

“The woman has registered a complaint. Three of the accused have been arrested,” said Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Nimesh Baraiya.

While two men have been arrested, the minor has been detained. Efforts are currently underway to find the absconding accused, said the police officials.

The four accused spotted the woman working at the centre. They entered the building, bound, gagged her and raped her in turns, the SHO said. The nurse was working alone at the centre as everyone else was off for Diwali. She was about to leave the centre when the four accused showed up, threatened her with a knife, and took her hostage, the SHO said.

According to the the FIR, the accused initially tied her up with a rope before raping her. The four accused recorded a video of the assault and threatened to kill her if she called the police. But as soon as she arrived at her house, she told her parents about the incident. The next morning, her parents took her to the police station where she filed an FIR. The woman knew the all the four accused.

A case has been filed against the accused in accordance with the pertinent provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act), the Arms Act, and the Information Technology Act, SHO Saini told PTI.

Following the incident, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers staged a protest outside the police station against Chhattisgarh’s Bhupesh Bhagel-led government. They demanded swift and strict action against the accused.

Manendragarh MLA and Congress leader Vinay Jaiswal also arrived at the police station demanding action against the accused.

(Edited by Anumeha Saxena)