The prime accused in the gang rape of a 14-year-old girl in Barmer was detained late Wednesday night and was arrested Thursday morning, police said.
Barmer superintendent of police Anand Sharma said the accused was identified as Gangaram Bheel, a resident of Dantal village in Jaisalmer district. He said the accused confessed his crime during interrogation.
Police said the accused is a farm labourer and worked in the fields of the girl’s grandfather. On Tuesday when the victim’s family members had gone out to vote in the panchayat election, the accused took the girl to an isolated place and raped her.
The accused fled from the spot after the assault.
Sharma said that investigation so far revealed that there was only one accused. He, however maintained that at this stage they were not denying the survivor’s statement about there being one more accused. The girl had told the police that the other accused filmed the assault.
Meanwhile, rape has not been confirmed in the medical examination. “Medical board has reserved the opinion and a sample has been sent for the swab test to the FSL,” Sharma said.
There was no sign of injuries in the survivor’s genitalia, the SP added.
Barmer police registered a case of gang rape on Wednesday. According to the complaint, the two accused fled the crime scene leaving the survivor unconscious by the roadside in the evening. Her family members found her after searching for her.
Sharma and Barmer district collector (DC) Vishram Meenahad had visited the hospital to enquire about the case.
In her statement to the police, the survivor said the accused who were on a motorcycle, abducted her about a few metres from her home. She was, however, unable to identify the accused.
