Police said eight people have been held so far in connection with the incident. (File Photo)
A horrific incident has come to light in Jharkhand where five women working for a non-profit organisation (NGO) were reportedly abducted and gang-raped at gunpoint by at least half a dozen men. The women had gone to Chochang village, about 50 km from state capital Ranchi, to create awareness on migration and human trafficking when the incident took place.
The police have identified the culprits and eight people were detained in this connection with the case.
Initial investigation has found that the people behind 'Pathalgarhi' (a practice in which villagers inscribe various tenets on huge stone slabs and ban outsiders in their area), are behind the incident in Khunti district on Tuesday, Deputy Inspector General of Police Amol V Homker said.
According to SP Ashwini Kumar Sinha, a 11-member team of an NGO went to the village to perform a street play on migration and human trafficking. A group of men arrived on the scene and took them to a nearby forests at gunpoint where the crime was perpetuated, police said.
Meanwhile, taking note of the incident, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has written to Jharkhand DGP directing him to apprise the commission about detailed action taken. The NCW has also constituted a three-member inquiry team to investigate the case and submit its recommendations.
An FIR has been filed and three teams have been formed to investigate the matter and arrest the culprits, he said. The police officer said the victims did not inform the administration about the incident. They got the information from sources and identified the culprits.
(With PTI inputs)
