Dalit woman reportedly assaulted and raped in Siraha

LAHAN: A Dalit woman from local Phulkahan village, Phulkahakatti VDC-2 in Siraha district has said some youth from a neighbouring village beat and raped her.

According to the woman, she was physically assaulted and raped by the assailants nearly 300 metres south of Kasaha Chok in neighbouring Ayodhyanagar VDC-3 while returning home after shopping in the weekly market there.

She said that among three motorcycle-borne youths, two held her while the next one raped her. The victim identified the rapist as the 23-year-old Keshab Mahato, the son of Shreeram Mahato of Ayodhyanagar VDC-5. She said 33-year-old Prameshwar Mahato and 29-year-old Prem Mahat, who accompanied Keshab, held her hands and feet.

The woman, a mother of three children, reported that the three men hit her with a rod and bamboo splinters, due to which she sustained deep wounds on back of the head, left ear and forehead. She is undergoing treatment at the Green Apple City Hospital at local Ayodhyanagar-1.

Although the incident took place on Monday evening, it came to light only on Tuesday evening as the village elders tried to settle the case in a hush-hush manner.

According to locals, the victim had an altercation with Keshab's mother Inardevi Mahato in course of shopping at the local Kasaha market before the incident took place.

The rape victim accused Inardevi of calling her son on the mobile phone and ordering him to beat and rape her.

The Dalit woman, who was lying unconscious after the assault, was rescued and taken to the hospital by the locals who saw her while they were returning home from the market.

The Area Police Office, Golbazaar stated that police would investigate into the incident based on the first information report filed by the victim.