Siraha, February 20

A 15-year-old Dalit girl became the latest rape victim in Siraha, said the District Police Office, adding that the girl was in critical condition due to profuse bleeding and had been referred elsewhere from Lahan for further treatment.

After receiving the report of the incident last evening, police from Lahan and Dhangadimai Area Police offices had arrested Shreeram Yadav of Khajanpur, Dhangadimai Municipality yesterday itself.

Police presented Yadav — in his twenties — at the court today to seek remand.

The girl from Bhorleni in Dhangadimai Municipality had fallen victim to rape while she had gone to the nearby Chamera forest to collect fodder.

“As soon as we got information of the incident, we swung into action and arrested the accused person along with his two brothers from his home and brought them to Lahan at about 9:00pm,” said DSP Rajesh Thapa of Lahan Area Police Office.

“As the victim was in semi-conscious state and couldn’t identify the rapist, two other girls who had gone to the forest with the victim were also brought to Lahan. It was the girls who identified the rapist,” said Thapa. The victim’s side filed an FIR today.

Meanwhile, in another case of rape, police today arrested Dipak Rai, 21, of Golbazar Municipality on the charge of raping a 12-year-old girl.

Police said Rai had preyed upon the girl when there was no one at her home yesterday. Police have said they are investigating the case by seeking remand from the court.