Rape accused vandalizes the victim's house

SURKHET/KALIKOT, May 13: A rape accused in Kalikot, who escaped the clutches of the police along with a handcuff, has vandalized the house of the victim.

Rape accused Shanka Buda of Palanta Rural Municipality-6 of Kalikot vandalized the house of the victim Dalit woman after she filed a police complaint.

Buda had been on the run since May 8 after the locals attacked police personnel who had arrived to arrest him.

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Assistant Sub Inspector Laxmi Rudra Rawat of the permanent police post Kardev and Dhanman BK, a member of the victim's family, were injured when the locals attacked them in the courtyard of the accused house while they were handcuffing him and bringing him to the district headquarters. The rape accused escaped along with the handcuff.

The police are yet to arrest Buda. According to the police, the handcuff was found in a forest near the village on the evening of May 9.

“A member of Buda's family attacked the victim's house along with his relatives for reporting the rape incident to the police,” said one of the victim's family members.

Meanwhile, seven of those who attacked the police and the victim's family while going to arrest Buda, have been arrested. According to the police, 28-year-old Maina Bam Buda of Palanta Rural Municipality-6, 42-year-old Janaki Buda, 60-year-old Jaipura Buda, 59-year-old Kalasha Bam, 61-year-old Jankala Buda and 35-year-old Jal Buda and a 15-year-old boy of the same place have been arrested by the police. They have been charged with attempted murder case.

Rape accused Buda and his mother’s younger sister are still on the run. Acting Chief of the District Police Office, Kalikot, Inspector Shuva Raj Bam, said that a case has been registered in the name of nine people under attempted murder charges.

"We have arrested five of them," he said, "The rest are being searched for. Even though the victim's house was attacked way before, we got the information only in the last few days.” 

According to him, there has been a problem in arresting the accused due to the lack of timely information about the incident. At present, the family of the victim are brought to district headquarters for security reasons.