A 19-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped by a rickshaw driver and his two passengers in eastern India. The teenager was abducted in the Rohtas district on Tuesday evening while returning home from her aunt's house after Diwali.
After walking for some distance, she asked a rickshaw driver, who already had two men in his vehicle, to take her to Tilouthu, according to the Hindustan Times. Instead of taking her to the village, the men travelled with her to nearby Barun, where they allegedly gang-raped her at a property.
Arrests Made After Victim Raises Alarm
The rickshaw driver then brought the 19-year-old back towards Tilouthu and left her at a secluded spot before attempting to flee. Police said the teenager immediately raised the alarm, and authorities and locals chased down and arrested the driver.
A case for abduction and gang rape was registered at Tilouthu police station, and a special police team was formed to bring the other two men into custody.
Investigation Underway
The driver told authorities the names of his associates, and officers also recovered the rickshaw used in the alleged crime. The force said further legal action is underway.
Bihar is a densely populated part of eastern India, bordered by Nepal to the north, with over 130 million residents. It is known as the historic birthplace of Buddhism and Jainism.
The region was also in the news for violent crime earlier this year when a video showing a teenage girl being sexually assaulted and her male friend beaten by a group of men sparked online outrage. In August, Bihar minister Shravan Kumar warned that "sporadic incidents" of crime against women and girls "keep happening" in the state, confirming that the government was keeping a watch on them.
