The rape of an Adivasi girl in this predominantly tribal state is threatening to snowball into a major headache for Chief Minister Madhu Koda. The 22-year-old victim, Saroj Kumari (name changed), was allegedly gangraped on January 27 and since then has been undergoing treatment at the Burns ward of the Goverment-run RIMS hospital. Kumari has been complaining of burning sensation ever since she was raped on the outskirts of the state capital near Pithoria and police have asked RIMS Director N N Agarwal to get her examined, which is yet to be done. She, meanwhile, remains incoherent.Asked about the delay in conducting a medical inquiry, Agrawal said a team of doctors had been constituted for the purpose. “Once the formalities are completed, tests will be conducted,” he told The Indian Express.Before being admitted to the hospital, the victim had told police that while she was standing outside the Ranchi railway station on Monday for going to Palhi village in Latehar district after her arrival from New Delhi where she worked as a domestic help, she was abducted by five unidentified youth and taken to a spot near the tracks. “There they raped me. Then they took me to Pithoria where they once again raped me. And before abandoning me, they poured some liquid on my body due to which I have been having terrible burning sensation,” she told police.Police have recorded her statement, but no arrest has been made so far. “As she has not named anybody, we are at a loss about the identity of the accused,” said Ranchi SSP M S Bhatia. Parents, relatives and friends of the victim are up in arms demanding immediate arrest of the accused. Under the banner of Sarna Sangharsh Samiti, they burnt the effigy of the district administration and police. “In case police failed to meet our demand in the next two days, we will intensify our agitation,” said Samiti’s secretary Ajit Toppo.Another Adivasi girl was allegedly raped by a police constable in Giridih district on January 24. Arvind Kumar, the accused, has been arrested. Arvind together with his two colleagues were in the village for anti-Naxalite operations when they allegedly committed the crime.According to FIR, 10-year-old Savitri (name changed) along with her brother Sudhir had gone to Ganhar village to collect firewood when the three policemen approached her. “Two policemen caught hold of me and the third one raped her,” alleged Sudhir in the FIR.Koda has been under fire over the incidents, but he is yet to call on the victims. The Opposition has threatened to launch a stir. “We feel the entire Government machinery has become insensitive to concerns of the rape victims,” said Leader of Opposition Arjun Munda.
