Jharkhand: 26-yr-old techie out with boyfriend gang-raped

A 26-year-old software engineer was allegedly raped by around 10 men in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, police said on Saturday.

The woman, who works at a well-known IT company and is in Chaibasa as she is working from home, was out with her boyfriend on a two-wheeler on Thursday evening when the incident took place near the old aerodrome, they said.

A group of eight-ten men stopped the couple, beat the boyfriend up and allegedly raped the woman after taking her to a secluded spot, police said.

Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar said that a case was registered at the Muffasil police station and an investigation was underway to identify those behind the incident.

Twelve people were detained for interrogation in connection with the incident, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Sadar) Dilip Khalko said.

After raping her, the accused left her at the spot and fled. They also took away her wallet and mobile phone.

The woman somehow managed to reach home, and told her family about the incident after which they filed a police complaint.

Her medical check-up was conducted at the Sadar Hospital.

The Bharatiya Janata Party demanded Chief Minister Hemant Soren's resignation over the incident.

Soren's government is absolutely insensitive towards the incidents of rape that have happened in the state over the last three years, former chief minister Raghubar Das of the BJP told PTI.

A sense of insecurity is prevailing among the people of the state as law and order has completely broken down, he claimed.

"Soren, who is also facing corruption charges with uncertainty looming large over his tenure, should immediately resign on moral ground as Jharkhand in becoming the rape capital," he added.

The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha said that those accused of the gang rape in Chaibasa will not be spared, and police are working to ensure stringent punishment against them.

"The state government has been taking prompt action in such cases and will do it in the Chaibasa incident as well," JMM spokesperson Mohan Karmakar said, rejecting the BJP's allegations as an attempt to tarnish Soren's image.

BJP is nervous over the overwhelming support the Soren government is getting for its welfare programmes, he claimed.

"The government is making all possible efforts to further strengthen the police department," Karmakar said.