Man held for parading woman naked in Jamshedpur faces rape charge
The police have decided to press rape charges against a man who was arrested Friday for allegedly parading a woman naked in a village in East Singhbhum district. Earlier, the man, identified as Gambhir Singh, was only booked on charges of assault. On Monday evening, the woman had lodged a written complaint with Jamshedpur’s senior superintendent of police (SSP).
The police have decided to press rape charges against a man who was arrested Friday for allegedly parading a woman naked in a village in East Singhbhum district.
Earlier, the man, identified as Gambhir Singh, was only booked on charges of assault.
“There was no need to add rape charge in the FIR already filed on the basis of victim’s earlier statement. We will now press rape charge against the man in case diary and pray before the court for addition of the same on the basis of victim’s fresh written complaint. The investigation is under way and we will submit charge sheet accordingly,” Jamshedpur SSP Anoop Birthare said.
“As per investigations so far, the woman was in a physical relationship with the accused earlier too,” said Birthare.
The the 26-year-old woman is a Sabar, a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG).
Lalan Chowdhry, head of the department (forensic) at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital (MGMMCH) here, said though traces of vaginal swabs and semen could still be found on the sample, relevant evidence could be obtained if medical tests were done immediately. “It would have been better had tests been done within 48 hours.”
“On Friday, Gambhir Singh came to our house around 10 am and asked me to accompany him. When I refused, he dragged me and beat up my husband and sister when they opposed. Wielding a knife, he tore my clothes and dragged me naked through the village to a nearby bush, where he tied my hands and mouths and raped me. My husband came following us but he threatened him with the knife,” says the complaint filed by the woman, who was accompanied by Jamshedpur block president of Adim Jana Jati Kalyan Sangh (AJJKS) Basudev Sabar to the SSP office here.