35-yr-old tribal gang-raped in front of hubby in Dindori

Bhopal: A 35-year-old married woman was gang-raped in front of her husband in Dindori district. The incident had taken place at Gorakanhari village in Samnapur police station area on the night of August 1, but the survivor and her husband were forced to wait till August 4, to reach police station and lodged a complaint because it was raining heavily in the area and the only bus that ply on the route was not in operation.

The couple, on August 4, anyhow managed to take lift in an ambulance, which had gone there to pick a patient and reached Samnapur police station to lodge their complaint.

The police had registered an FIR based on their complaint and after medical examination of the survivor, the accused were arrested on August 5. Statements of the couple were recorded on Tuesday and we had to arrange for their travel to and from their home, Samnapur police station in charge, Uma Shankar Yadav told TOI.

“The Baiga triba couple had gone to a neighbouring village to seek their due wages from a local contractor and were returning home. Their 1.5 month-old son was also with them. Husband of the survivor was carrying the child and moving ahead, while she was carrying a torch (mashal) in her hand. The accused Hari Singh alias Chhote, 27 and Som Singh alias Dumma, 40, apprehended her,” Yadav said.

“They thrashed and made her husband run away, who hid in bushes with the kid because the accused were carrying a knife. Then one of them Hari Singh alias Chhote raped her, however as per the norms, both Hari Singh and Som Singh have been booked for gang rape”, Yadav added. “The accused had dropped his cell phone on the spot and as they were from the neighbouring villages, the survivor also identified them,” he added. Both were arrested and sent to judicial remand, he said.