In a shocking incident, around a dozen armed miscreants allegedly gang-raped a BJP worker and ransacked her house looting cash and jewellery at Masmano village under Chanho police station, some 45 km from here in the wee hours of Monday.
She happens to be a senior leader of BJP minority cell and was supposed to be a fiery cadre. The armed assailants also beat up her husband and misbehaved with her daughter, besides setting her vehicle (Scorpio) afire while fleeing with cash and jewellery. She had been admitted in Sadar hospital for medical investigation. She has lodged an FIR at the Chanho police station, barely 2-3 km from her village, accusing Zulfan Ansari, Hafizul Ansari, Wasim Ansari, Irfan Ansari, Tariq Anwar, Md Sonu, (all from Masmano (village) and Asharful Haq of village Chatwal of the crime.
The incident rattled the BJP prompting former Chief Minister Arjun Munda to rush to the village and take stock of the situation. Condemning the incident, Munda demanded strict and timely action against those named in the FIR and cautioned the administration for failing to bring the culprits to book. He was accompanied by former MP Ajay Maroo, minority cell chief Kamal Khan and party leader Gama Singh.
“If victims are not arrested within 48 hours then the party will decide future course of action,” Munda told Ranchi SP (Rural) SK Jha, who was also present on the spot. He also requested him to deploy static forces for the safety of the victim and her neighbours.
All the accused, alleged to be members of Jharkhand libration Tigers, are still at large and are in contact with the police to clear their position vis-à-vis the charges leveled against them. According to police, the accused have pleaded innocence and demand strict penalty for them if proven guilty and to punish the accuser if the charge turns out to be false.
“We are in touch with them through a messenger. We asked them to surrender if they believe that they have not done anything wrong however we have yet to receive a reply from their side,” said the SP (Rural). He, however, refused to divulge the messenger between the police and accused.