In a chilling incident, a mentally challenged woman was allegedly gang-raped by two youths on Monday night under the jurisdiction of Kathikund police station in Dumka district. Acting with swift precision, the police launched a late-night manhunt, apprehended both perpetrators within hours of the crime, and produced them before a local court on Tuesday, which subsequently remanded them to judicial custody.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Rajesh Sheel, a resident of Teliyachak Bazaar, and Malik Tudu, hailing from Bara Kathikund village, both falling under the Kathikund police station limits.
According to police sources, the victim had visited the weekly village market (haat) in Kathikund on Monday to make routine purchases. As dusk settled and it grew late, the two suspects cornered the vulnerable woman, dragged her by force into a nearby kendu leaf warehouse, and subjected her to a heinous sexual assault.
The police were alerted to the assault while it was underway, prompting the culprits to flee into the darkness. However, in their frantic bid to evade capture, one of the accused, Malik Tudu, left his motorcycle behind at the crime scene.
Taking immediate custody of the abandoned vehicle, the police traced its ownership details and mounted targeted raids across suspected hideouts through the night. The tactical operation yielded prompt success, resulting in the nab of both suspects within hours. Confirming the arrests, Kathikund Police Station In-Charge Balram Kumar stated that following sustained interrogation and preliminary legal procedures, both accused were forwarded to jail on Tuesday.