Two arrested in gangrape case in Sikkim

Sexaul offences against Sikkimese women increases in 2012

Gangtok, Dec 31, 2012 [SIKKIM EXPRESS] ---Two youths involved in an alleged gang-rape case of a minor girl in an East district forest have been arrested and police are trying to nab the other two accused persons.

A search operation is going on to nab the two absconding persons, Man Bahadur Kami (26) and a 14-year-old teenager. A team headed by Pakyong SDPO searched the forest area of Busuk as the culprits may been hiding the forest, said Pakyong police station in-charge Mahendra Subba.

Purna Kami (19) and Nar Bahadur Kami (26) have been already arrested following the complaints made by the victim's family on Decemb er 28. The 14-year-old girl had on previous day gone to the nearby jungle to graze the goats when the alleged incident took place.

The victim, who did not return back home that night, was found hiding in a jbush next morning by some villagers who had gone to search for her.

The school going girl narrated her nightmare to her mother after which a complaint was lodged with Pakyong police.

Police informed that the victim was sent for medical examination at STNM hospital and report is expected by Monday. The victim is  presently at home with her parents.

Purna Kami has been sent to judicial custody at Rongyek Jail lwhile Nar Bahadur Kami is being questioned at the Pakyong police station. The two other accused persons, Man Bahadur Kami and the juvenile are still at large. A case of rape under section of 376 of IPC has been registered against the four persons.

The teenager works as a vehicle helper while the other three accused persons are casual labourers from Pacheykhani, Pakyong sub-division.

"The victim's family is a middle class family. The family head earns a livelihood by doing farming. It is a shameful act and the accused should be booked under stringent laws. The heinous act has defamed the name of our village", said a panchayat from the victim's village.

State Women Commission chairperson Subadhra Rai assured to provide all help to deliver justice to the victim. "We will meet the victim and family members on Monday. We will see what necessary help the commission can extend to the victim", she said condemning the incident.

According to police records, 28 complaints of rape were registered in different police stations of Sikkim this year till October. Sixteen rape cases had been registered in 2011 reflecting the increase in sexual assaults on women in the State.

Five cases of rape including the recent Pakyong gang-rape case in November and December take the total number of such alleged instances to for this year. Most of the accused persons are acquainted to the victims as neighbours or relatives. Shockingly, most of the rape victims are minors and of lower economic strata with the recent such case reported in November from West district where a 13-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly raping a 5-year-old girl.

The same month, two school girls were allegedly raped by two youths in a moving vehicle along Pelling-Geyzing road in West district.

Even shocking is the bestiality shown by a 59-year-old villager of Melli who allegedly raped a deaf and dumb woman of 30 years in August this year.  

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