Youth detained over alleged gang rape of homeless woman after offering shelter
The victim has been admitted to a hospital. Process of filing a case over the incident is underway
Bagerhat police have arrested a youngster for allegedly raping a homeless woman after taking her to a house with promise of giving shelter.
Md Rabiul Islam, 35, was apprehended from the Shat Gambuj area of the district in an operation on Thursday (25 January), said Md Saidur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Bagerhat Model Police Station.
"The victim has been admitted to a hospital. Process of filing a case over the incident is underway," he added.
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The victim is currently undergoing treatment at the Bagerhat District Hospital.
"We have collected samples for the alleged rape's forensic tests. The woman is currently out of danger. She is being given required treatment," Dr Sadia Tasnim Moonmoon of the hospital told The Business Standard.
According to the victim, the alleged sexual assault took place on Tuesday night this week.
"My father has passed away. I haven't had any contact with my mother for a long time. I used to work at a private company. Don't have that job anymore.
"I came to Khan Jahan Ali's shrine a month and a half ago hoping to get shelter here. Somedays I slept near the shrine, somedays in the veranda of shrines and mosques," she said.
Describing the night of the alleged incident, she said, "On the night of 21 January, I was near the shrine when some people forced me to leave the area. From there, I went near the Shat Gambuj mosque.
"There, some people sent me to the house of a man named Jalil. When I went there, a man named Akbar made me an indecent proposal. Feeling irritated, I left the house and returned to the street.
"At that point, an auto-rickshaw driver promised to shelter me. He asked me to get on his auto-rickshaw and took me to a secluded 'gher'.
"There, three people raped me."
She claimed that the alleged rapists let her go at one point as she continued to beg them.
"They left me at another desolate place near the Bagerhat-Khulna highway. I didn't know whom to tell about this initially. At one point, I informed the police and they got me admitted to the hospital," she added.
She demanded maximum punishment of the alleged rapists.
