Jharkhand high court took suo motu cognisance and issued notices to authorities regarding the alleged gang rape of a Spanish woman in Dumka district last week. The case has sparked global outcry, leading district authorities to provide a cheque of Rs 10,00,000 to her husband, who was also assaulted during the attack.
Although three men were picked up on suspicion, police have yet to identify any of the seven suspects. SDPO Santosh Kumar said searches are being conducted. The woman released a photograph of one of the suspects on social media.
Police said the woman, who also holds Brazilian citizenship, and her husband are on a world biking tour. She was gang-raped while they were resting inside tents at a deserted area in a village within the jurisdiction of Hansdiha police station, around 300km from Ranchi. They were en route to Nepal from Bengal.
Authorities didn’t disclose when the couple would be allowed to leave or if police had requested them to stay as the investigation is ongoing.
An HC division bench observed the seriousness of the crime against a foreigner and appointed senior advocate Ritu Kumar as the amicus curie. HC scheduled the next hearing for March 7, by which time the state is expected to provide all relevant case details.
