Spanish woman’s gang-rape: 3 sent to jail; search on for remaining 4
Of the seven accused, three — Rajan Marandi, Pradip Kisku, and Sukhlal Hembrom, all aged between 20 and 30 — have been remanded in judicial custody
The three persons, arrested in connection with the gang rape of a Spanish tourist in Jharkhand’s Dumka district, have been remanded in judicial custody by a court.
Police have also recorded the survivor’s statement under Section 164 of the CrPC. Addressing a press conference on Sunday (March 3), Superintendent of Police Pitamber Singh Kherwar said a medical test was conducted on the woman and it confirmed rape.
Manhunt on
The woman from Spain was allegedly gang-raped on Friday at Kurumahat in Hansdiha police station area, around 300 km from the state capital Ranchi, where she was spending the night in a tent along with her husband, police said.
Of the seven accused, three — Rajan Marandi, Pradip Kisku, and Sukhlal Hembrom, all aged between 20 and 30 — have been sent to jail custody and a search is on for the other four. “The other four accused have been identified, and searches are underway. They will be nabbed soon,” Kherwar said.
The police are in contact with the Embassy of Spain in New Delhi, said. “They are being kept informed about the developments,” he added.
Probe intensifies
According to a Hindustan Times report, Jharkhand CID has launched a probe into the gang-rape. The CID team reached Kurmarhat on Sunday morning and visited the crime site in Kunji area, where the Spanish woman and her husband, on a bike tour, were camping on Friday night.
The CID team, led by assistant director Santosh Kumar, reportedly inspected the site of crime in the forest too and interacted with the police officials who first met the couple after the incident and took them to hospital.
Two forensic teams have also reportedly visited the site. One collected evidence, including a wristwatch, broken parts of a helmet, and clothes, on Sunday, said the HT report. The other inspected the site.
NCW visit
The woman, aged around 28, and her husband, 64, had reached Dumka from Bangladesh and were on their way to Nepal via Bihar.
National Commission for Women member Mamta Kumari has met the survivor. “All the accused involved in the crime should be arrested at the earliest and stringent action should be ensured,” she said.
“India unsafe”
On the other hand, NCW chief Rekha Sharma on Sunday slammed US-based writer David Josef Volodzko for posting on X that India was unsafe for women.
“I love India. It is and always will be one of my favorite places in the world. But I have advised female friends who asked me not to travel there alone. This is a real problem in Indian society that warrants more attention and that I hope will improve in time,” the Seattle-based writer posted.
Sharma replied to his post asking whether he had reported any of the incidents to police. “If not then you are totally an irresponsible person. Writing only on social media and defaming whole country is not good choice,” Sharma wrote.
(With agency inputs)
