The Jharkhand High Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of the gang rape of a Spanish woman in Dumka on Friday night. A Division Bench led by Acting Chief Justice S. Chandrashekhar sought a report from Jharkhand’s Chief Secretary and Director-General of Police (DGP), as well as the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Dumka district, where the incident took place.
The next hearing is scheduled on March 7.
The court said, “The incident of crime of any kind against a foreign national may have serious national and international repercussions including impacting the tourism economy of the country. A sex-related crime against a foreign woman is likely to bring adverse publicity against the country and thereby tarnishing the image of India across the globe. As we read from the newspaper reports, ‘X’ is a Spanish-speaking person but it is not known whether there is the facility of a translator with the help of whom her statement was recorded.”
The court further said, “Furthermore, in view of the amendments made in the Code of Criminal Procedure and emphasis on scientific investigation in case of offences relating to rape, there is urgent need to seek a report from SP Dumka as to the progress of investigation so far conducted in the matter.”
The Spanish woman, who according to police records also has Brazilian citizenship, was gang-raped in Hansdiha police station limits when she was en route to Nepal from West Bengal. The woman along with her husband was on a bike tour across India and the incident reportedly happened when they were resting inside tents at a deserted area in Kurmahat village.
Dumka Deputy Commissioner Anjaneyulu Dodde on Monday handed over a cheque of ₹10 lakh to the victim. On Sunday, Dumka SP Pitambar Singh Kherwar had said that four other accused in the case had been identified and would soon be arrested.
The police said seven people are involved in the case and three had been arrested. They were remanded in judicial custody after being produced in a local court on Sunday. The Spanish couple were also assaulted and the accused allegedly robbed them of ₹10,000. A hunt is under way to trace the other accused.
The Opposition BJP on Monday staged a protest march in Ranchi condemning the incident and blamed the government for the deteriorating law and order in the State. The BJP leaders said that the gang rape of the Spanish woman in Jharkhand has tarnished the image of the State across the world.
Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is being praised at global level, but the incident of Dumka has maligned the reputation of Jharkhand.
Two more
Amid the furore over the gang rape of the Spanish woman, two more women were raped in two districts of Jharkhand, the police said. On Sunday, an orchestra artiste was drugged and gang-raped in Hussainbad in Palamu district, with all three accused in the case arrested and remanded. Another woman, a resident of Patna, was raped by a man in Garhwa district on Monday. The accused had promised to return the money he owed her.
