Woman gang-raped in Mendhar

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 29: While the flames of Delhi gang-rape case have not yet doused in the country, yet another case of gang-rape took place in a village near Mendhar in district Poonch late last evening.
The victim is 35 year-old poor, hapless and ailing widow, who was returning home to Kalaban village after Medical examination at Sub-District Hospital Mendhar. As the woman boarded off a Tata Sumo at around 5.30 pm on the road side near Takia Ziarat and started moving towards her village (Kalaban) on foot, three youth started chasing her. It was chilling cold and the dusk had started. She sensed trouble and started moving fast.
The three local youth also started running fast and then caught hold of the hapless and lone-woman at an isolated place and committed sexual assault repeatedly on her. The poor-woman raised alarm but she was gagged and there was no one to listen to her screams. The culprits then left the ailing victim in cold and escaped. She kept lying there for some time and mustering courage, then she started moving and reached a near-by house of one Mohd Sayeed Qureshi and raised alarm for help. The family members came out and found the lady in very miserable condition and brought her to their home. The women of the family took her inside, provided clothes and lit fire to provide her warmth as she was badly shivering with cold and shock. Moreover, her health was also not good.
The other people also came to know about the incident at around 6.30 pm and they informed Mendhar police. The woman identified the accused and Qureshi’s son had also seen three people moving towards that track. They were identified as Tariq Iqbal (Veterinary Deptt employee), son of Mehboob Ahmed resident of Kalaban area, Tazeem Ahmed (driver), son of Abdul Majid of Kalaban and Muzaffar, son of Mohd Khursheed, also from the same area.
The victim was removed to Mendhar hospital for Medical examination by police during the day today and SHO and SDPO recorded the statement of the victim. She was unable to move and was helped by the family members. The police registered a case and started investigation. The locals were agitated over the act and they demanded immediate arrest of all the accused and strict action against them.
SDPO Amit Bhasin when contacted claimed that Medical examination of the woman got conducted at SDH, Mendhar. He said one of the accused, as identified by the victim has been apprehended. The police teams were conducting raids to arrest two others. He said medical report has not been provided by the Medical officer as yet and the investigation was in progress.