In Jharkhand, while the state government is implementing ambitious schemes like the Maiya Samman Yojana to empower women and girls, serious questions are being raised about the safety of women and minor girls in the state. Incidents of atrocities and rapes against women are continuously coming to light from various districts of the state. Recently, two gang-rape incidents within two days in the Dumka district, the sub-capital of Jharkhand, have shaken the entire state.
The first case occurred in the Raneshwar police station area, where a group of eight youths attacked two minor friends returning from a fair held after the Durga Puja idol immersion. It is reported that four minors were also among the attackers. It is alleged that four youths molested one of the victims, while the other minor was gang-raped by four other accused in a secluded place.
Upon receiving information about the incident, the Raneshwar police station immediately took action, taking eight accused, including four minors, into custody and initiated an investigation. Police officers stated that the victim underwent a medical examination, and further legal action is underway.
Exactly 24 hours before this incident, a case of brutality against a young woman was reported in the Hansdiha police station area of Dumka. According to information, the young woman was called to a Dandiya Night program under the pretext of dancing, where three youths gang-raped her. The accused tied the young woman’s hands and feet. Furthermore, they recorded a video of this heinous act on their mobile phones and later threatened the victim that they would वायरल the video if she told anyone.
The young woman was left after her condition worsened. After gathering courage, she informed the police about the entire incident. The police have taken all three accused—Saurabh Kumar, Rajan, and Paras Yadav—into custody and also seized the video.
These two incidents have once again raised serious questions about the law and order and the safety of women in the Jharkhand government. On the one hand, the state government claims to be empowering women financially, while on the other hand, such crimes continuously coming to light show that the ground-level security situation is very worrying.
