Father Alfanso, the main accused in the gang-rape case, has been convicted of abduction and gang rape of five female workers of an NGO in Khunti district adjacent to Jharkhand's capital Ranchi. Father Alphonse will be sentenced the punishment on May 15. Father Alfanso has been taken into custody after the charges were framed by the court.
This incident of gang rape in Kochang village of khunti district last year had spread panic throughout the state. Last year, five minor girls, who worked in spreading awareness against human trafficking in khunti district, were making hostages and gang-raped on 21 June by in Kochang village. A month after the incident, police could arrest the mastermind of Gangrape from West Singhbhum district in July.
Inspector General of Police Naveen Kumar told in the khunti that Mastermind Junas Tudu was arrested from Chakradharpur railway station with Balram Samad. Junas incited the Maoists of People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) to a gangrape.
In this case, the police had already arrested two other accused, including PLFI member and main accused Baji Samad alias Takla, and father Alfonso of the Roman Catholic Church. The accused Balram Samad had told in the interrogation that he and others had gang-raped women with the words of Junas and Balram.
There was a situation of tension in kochang village for a long time, after the incident of khunta-kochang gangrape. There were many incidents of clashes between the villagers and the police. Some villagers were also killed in the stampede due to the incident of the clashes. The villagers attacked the BJP MP Karia Munda's house and abducted three security guards from the house of MLA.
The National Commission for Women had shown strict action on this incident and sent a three-member team to the khunti. This team has expressed doubts on Father Alfonso's. The manager of Nookad Drama team allegedly failed to give information to the officials of the kidnapping.
