Unable to arrest a rape accused leading the locals to ransack the accused’s house and widespread protests against police apathy in Itaunja, the police to keep its records straight registered a case against seven persons for ransacking and arson on Thursday.
A police spokesman said that accused Raju’s wife Geeta of Aramba village of Itaunja lodged a case against Rajaram, his brother Motilal, Sharad Chandra and his son Sooraj, Radheyshayam, Guddu and Kisanpal charging them with storming her house, ransacking it and later set afire a van parked outside her house. She also alleged that the group also destroyed a thatched house owned by her.
The spokesman said that a case of rioting, illegal entry, ransacking and abusing the complainant was lodged. He said that police teams were hunting for rape accused Raju, who absconded after his name surfaced in the crime.
Meanwhile, tension prevailed in the village after the rape incident and attack on the accused’s house by kin of the victim. Additional police forces were deployed in the area to avert any fresh clash.
Raju of Aramba village was accused of raping a 16-year-old girl on Tuesday evening after kidnapping and holding her hostage at a house in the locality.
He later learnt that the girl’s kin had come to know about his involvement in the crime and he panicked. On Wednesday morning, he dropped the girl near a field in the locality and fled. After regaining consciousness at a hospital on Wednesday, the girl narrated her ordeal to her family.
The victim’s family approached the police but did not get any help which angered the locals and in a fit of rage, a mob ransacked Raju’s house and torched his van.