TNN Mar 7, 2013, 0
 #India- Chastity, Virginity, Marriageability, and Rape Sentencing #Vaw  #Justice #mustread

KOLKATA: A 25-year-old woman with physical disabilities was allegedly raped by her neighbour in an abandoned house at Bhatikhna in the Behala police area on Monday.

The victim, however, told her mother about the assault nearly 48 hours later following which a police complaint was lodged on Wednesday.

The accused has gone into hiding.

On Monday evening, the victim was walking alone on the road when her 50-year-old neighbour, Bikash Ghosh, a house painter, lured her with food to an abandoned building near Bhatikhana.

Ghosh then allegedly raped the victim and left her there in a semi-conscious state.

Soon, three youths passing by the area heard the woman’s cry and took her to her house. The trio requested the woman’s sister-in-law not to allow her to go out of the house alone.

Later, the victim told her mother that three youths had brought her home and did not divulge any further details. Since she was traumatized, her family members did not disturb her, said a police officer.

It was only on Tuesday night that the woman mustered courage and told her mother that she had been raped by Ghosh.

The victim’s father lodged a complaint at Behala police station on Wednesday.

Police said that clothes the woman was wearing at the time of the assault had been taken for forensic tests. She will also undergo a medical examination.

However the delay of nearly two days will hamper the prospect of the investigation, an officer said. The medical tests should have been conducted within 24 hours of the assault. But the complaint came late, he added.

A physically challenged woman was allegedly raped by her neighbour at an abandoned house at Bhatikhana area in Behala police station area. The woman, nearly 48 hours after the incident, confessed the incident to her mother. On Wednesday, a formal complaint was lodged by the father of the victim. The accused is however absconding.

On Monday, evening the accused Bikash Ghosh, 50, a paint-labourer found the victim alone on the road. He allured her with food to an abandoned house near Bhatikhana. There he raped her and left her abandoned in the house in a semi-conscious state. Three youths passing by the area rescued the woman after hearing the groaning sound of the woman.

Three youths then took her to her home at Tarpan Ghat Road and requested her sister-in-law not to allow the victim to go out of the house alone. They did not say anything else to victim’s sister-in-law. Later she told victim’s mother about three youths who had brought her home. But the victim was too traumatised to say anything. Her family members did not disturb her, said a police officer.

On Tuesday night, after settling down with her trauma, the victim confessed how she was raped by the accused. She broke down in tears. On Wednesday morning, they lodged complaint with Behala police station. Police said that the her clothes at the time of the incident were confiscated for forensic tests. She would also be undergoing medical examination.

However the delay, an investigating officer said, would hamper the prospect of the investigation. The medical tests should have been conducted with 24 hours of the incident. But the complaint came late.