Accused held in Araria rape case

Patna: A man was arrested in Araria district on Wednesday night for allegedly raping a 20-year-old woman after entering her house. The incident occurred on Nov 1 when the woman was alone at home. The accused allegedly gagged her before sexually assaulting her and fleeing the spot, police said on Thursday.Police arrested the accused, identified as Dinesh Biswas, after the survivor lodged a complaint on Nov 4. The case has sparked allegations that attempts were made to suppress the matter through a village panchayat.According to the complaint, the woman was cleaning her house around 2 pm while her mother was away for daily-wage work. The family also runs a grocery shop outside their residence. Biswas, a resident of the same village, allegedly arrived in a vehicle, parked it outside the shop and entered the house.The complaint alleges that he stuffed a piece of cloth into the woman’s mouth to prevent her from raising an alarm before sexually assaulting her. He then fled the spot. After her mother returned, the survivor informed her about the incident. The family subsequently sought action against the accused.However, the survivor’s sister alleged that local residents convened a panchayat instead of immediately approaching the police. She claimed that former and current panchayat representatives, along with some villagers, held meetings over three days in an attempt to settle the matter.The family alleged that pressure was exerted on them to accept a settlement of Rs 1 lakh and not pursue the case. No agreement was reached. The rape survivor later approached the police station with her sister and filed a written complaint against Biswas.Local SHO Dharmendra Kumar said a case had been registered on the basis of the complaint and the accused had been arrested. “The investigation is underway and further legal action will be taken as per procedure,” he said, adding that police are examining the survivor’s statement and other evidence.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Patna | Silver Rate in Patna | Bank Holidays in Patna | Public Holidays in Patna | Patna AQI | Weather in Patna | Petrol Price in Patna | Diesel Price in Patna | CNG Price in Patna | LPG Price in PatnaStay updated with the latest Patna news. Download the TOI App.