A woman was allegedly sexually assaulted and forced to drink urine and her daughter was molested in public by 20 of her in-laws in a village 20km from Barmer district headquarters on Friday evening.
Three of the 20 persons were arrested on Sunday and produced before a local court which remanded them to 3-day police custody.
The brutal incident happened at Asada Ki Beri village when the woman and her 16-year-old daughter were going to attend a social event.
The accused gathered around her and started beating her as she had fixed her daughter’s engagement against their wishes. They tore her clothes and allegedly inserted a stick in her private parts and forced her to drink urine. The group also molested her and her daughter, police said.
On being informed, a 108 ambulance reached the spot, but the accused threatened its driver and did not allow him to take the victim. The driver then went and informed the police, who reached the spot and brought the victim to a hospital.
A case was filed against 20 men on a complaint filed by the victim’s husband. Of the three arrested, two are the woman’s nephews and the third is a nephew’s son, police said, adding that a manhunt was on for the other 17.
{{/usCountry}}A case was filed against 20 men on a complaint filed by the victim’s husband. Of the three arrested, two are the woman’s nephews and the third is a nephew’s son, police said, adding that a manhunt was on for the other 17.
{{/usCountry}}The accused have been booked under various sections of the IPC, including rape, kidnapping, attempt to commit culpable homicide, voluntarily causing hurt, and under section 7/8 of the POCSO Act.
The woman and her daughter are undergoing treatment at the government hospital in Barmer. Dr Shradha Gilgile, attending to the victim, said she was brutally beaten up and had injuries in her internal parts, but was out of danger.