16-year-old girl gang-raped in Chhattisgarh; two arrested

A 16-year-old girl, who had taken her cattle for grazing in a forest, was allegedly raped by two men in Chhattisgarhs Bilaspur district, police said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday afternoon and the two accused, identified as Rai Singh Markam (28) and Manoj Kumar Wakre (20), were arrested on Monday, they said.

The survivor had taken her cattle for grazing to a forest near her house in the Gaurela police station area when the duo, riding a motorcycle, crossed the area, Additional Superintendent of Police (Pendra area) Pratibha Tiwari said.

On realising that the girl was alone in the forest, the two returned to the spot and allegedly took her along with them after threatening her, Tiwari said, quoting from the complaint lodged by the victim's mother.

They also hit the girl with a stick before raping her, the police officer said, adding the accused fled the scene after committing the crime.

The girl reached home and narrated the ordeal to her mother who then contacted the police on Monday, she said.

The police filed a case and arrested Markam and Wakre, Tiwari said.

The victim was admitted at a local hospital for treatment and she identified the accused during an identification parade, she said.

The accused were booked under sections 376D (gang rape) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Tiwari said.

Further investigation was underway, she added.