The spot on National Highway 75 where the woman cop was gang-raped
It has been over 80 hours since a woman constable in Jharkhand's Latehar district was gang-raped, but the state police is yet to make an arrest in the case. The policewoman was gang-raped on Thursday night when she was returning with the body of her brother-in-law, a cop who was killed in a recent Naxal attack. A medical report has confirmed that the woman was gang-raped.
The woman constable, along with three of her relatives, was taking the body from Ranchi to Garwah, about 150 km from the state capital. Three men, suspected to be from a gang of robbers, reportedly accosted and then attacked her vehicle near Jaldaga Bridge on National Highway 75 just outside Latehar, where the woman cop is posted.
The men then allegedly raped her in the same vehicle that was carrying her brother-in-law's body, and robbed her relatives. The men also allegedly robbed other vehicles which were passing by. The incident took place only 5 to 7 km from the district headquarter office of the Latehar district.
Despite many high profile visits to the Latehar district, including the state's top cop Rajiv Kumar and former Chief Minister Arjun Munda of the BJP on Sunday, the police have so far not cracked the case.
According to SN Pradhan, Additional Director General, Law and Order, Jharkhand, the case is being investigated on priority by the state's Criminal Investigation Department and that arrests will happen soon.
The woman constable is a widow who got the job on compassionate ground after her husband was killed by Maoists.
The incident took place just a few hours after a 22-year-old photojournalist was gang-raped in Mumbai. All five accused were arrested within 70 hours and have been sent to police custody.