Villagers tonsure, parade rape accused in Ranchi

After tonsuring his head, the accused was paraded across the village holding a placard which read, “I am a rapist.”

Enraged residents of a village in Gumla district in Jharkhand tonsured a 30-year-old alleged rape accused, and made him parade with a garland of brooms across the village on Sunday afternoon, police said.

Ghagra police station officer-in-charge Upendra Mahto said the accused Jugia Oraon of the village had allegedly raped his seven-year-old step-daughter on Friday. Later she informed her mother, who in turn, informed village residents. He said after tonsuring his head, the accused was paraded across the village holding a placard which read, “I am a rapist.”

Police reached the spot and saved the accused from getting thrashed, Mahto said. He said that Oraon’s younger brother had died few years back, following which he married the brother’s wife.

Quoting the statement given by the mother of the victim, police said the minor was sleeping with her mother last Friday. The accused forcibly took the girl to sleep with him. Later, he raped the step-daughter.

The victim would be handed over to Child Welfare Committee for recording her statement and counselling, Mahto said. He said that the accused was charged under the relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) act and IPC.

“It appears that the accused might have raped the minor on earlier occasions also. We are investigating the matter,” Mahto said.