Tribal woman raped, tortured with iron rod in Bengal village

Ratna Munda and Parimal Roy took the woman to the banks of a river about one-and-a-half kilometres from her home and allegedly raped her.

Two men in their 20s have been arrested for allegedly raping and torturing a 34-year-old tribal woman at Thakurpat village in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district.

Ratna Munda and Parimal Roy, allegedly lured her on Saturday night on the pretext of discussing a land deal and allegedly raped her. (AP)

Police said the two, Ratna Munda and Parimal Roy, allegedly lured her on Saturday night on the pretext of discussing a land deal. The woman did not suspect anything amiss as the two are her neighbours.

Munda and Roy took the woman to the banks of a river about one-and-a-half kilometres from her home and allegedly raped her. The two then tortured her by shoving an iron rod into her private parts and fled the place leaving the woman in a pool of blood. A rickshaw puller rescued her later in the night and took her to a local hospital.

Munda and Roy were arrested on Sunday morning after police recorded the woman’s statement. West Bengal’s additional director general (law and order) Anuj Sharma said they have instructed the district police to file a charge sheet within three days. “The victim is recovering but her condition is still critical.”

The rickshaw puller first took the woman to a local hospital in Dhupguri. She was shifted to Jalpaiguri district hospital after her condition worsened.

“The youths are in their twenties. They tortured the victim with an iron rod,” said Dhendup Sherpa, additional superintendent of police (rural).