Nuh woman alleges month-long captivity, gang rape; 4 booked

The survivor alleged she was drugged, assaulted repeatedly, threatened with her son’s murder and escaped with him after more than a month in captivity.

Five people, including a cleric, have been booked for allegedly gang-raping a 26-year-old woman after holding her captive for over a month on the pretext of performing rituals to cure her son of “black magic” in Nuh, police said on Tuesday.

Nuh woman alleges month-long captivity, gang rape; 4 booked

The woman alleged in her complaint that the accused also recorded obscene photographs and videos of her, circulated them on social media, and threatened to kill her son if she approached the police, investigators said.

Officials familiar with the investigation said five people, including two women, have been identified for their alleged roles in the crime. All of them are absconding.

According to the FIR, accessed by HT, the woman visited a cleric in Mathepur village in Palwal on May 22 seeking treatment for her minor son.

“The cleric told her that the child was under the influence of an evil spirit and asked her to visit his place in Khori village of Tauru the next day for a ritual,” said Rajesh Kumar, station house officer of Sadar Tauru police station.

The complainant alleged that she was made to wait until sunset before the ritual and was then given a drink that rendered her unconscious.

“When she regained consciousness, she found herself confined in a room. She alleged that the cleric and two other men repeatedly raped her and threatened to kill her son if she raised an alarm,” Kumar said, citing the FIR. The woman further alleged that she was repeatedly given substances that kept her in a semi-conscious state.

Police said the two women were booked for allegedly keeping the victim under surveillance, confining her, providing her food and drinks during her captivity, and failing to help despite her repeated pleas for assistance. They added the accused also allegedly broke her mobile phone and informed her family that she and her son would remain in Tauru for the child’s treatment and rituals.

According to the complaint, the woman managed to escape with her son on the night of June 23 and ran back home, where she informed her relatives about the ordeal. She later sought medical treatment and allegedly discovered that she was pregnant, following which she approached the police.

Based on her complaint, an FIR was registered on Sunday under sections 70(1) (gang rape of adult woman), 3(5) (common intention) and 126 (worngful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

“The survivor’s medical examination has been conducted. All the accused have absconded, but their identities have been established and teams are conducting raids to arrest them,” Kumar said.