A 10-year-old girl was allegedly raped by assistant health worker Harendra Dev at Kanchanpur VDC in the district last Saturday. [break]The accused is chief of sub-health post in the VDC. Locals have been demanding that the accused be brought to book.
On Wednesday, relatives of the victim, rights activists, non government organizations and locals formed a 21-member struggle committee led by Mukunda Acharya, a local and took out a protest rally.
The police have arrested Dev from India on Saturday night. Investigation into the incident is on, said DSP Shyam Singh Chaudhary, spokesperson for the District Police Office (DPO). “As we are yet to get the medical report, Harendra cannot be held guilty.”
“Incidents of sexual violence against women are being overlooked,” accused Mina Thakur, a women rights activist.
On Feb 9, two girls aged 10 and 11 were raped by two unidentified men at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve area in the district. Likewise, a 15-year old Dalit girl of Siswa Belhi VDC was raped on January 20 by a group of local youths. She was taken hostage for four days and repeatedly raped by the rapists. However, the victim is yet to get justice as the case is sub judice at the District Court, Saptari.
Similarly, a girl was allegedly raped by her school teacher Anil Kumar Mandal at Chinna Masta VDC on April 14, last year. Barely a month after the incident, an eight-year-old girl was raped by a local youth in Dharampur VDC of the same district.
According to records maintained by local NGOs in the district, over two dozen women, including underage girls and widows have been raped in the district in the last couple of years.
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