Summary:
A 15-year-old Dalit girl was abducted and gang-raped in Jhalhi ward 11, Rajbiraj Municipality, Saptari district. The perpetrators held her captive overnight. One suspect, 19-year-old Raju Yadav, was caught by the community and handed to police; another, 18-year-old Vivek Yadav, remains at large. Instead of pursuing legal action, local officials, including ward chair Uttam Narayan Yadav, pressured the victim’s family to accept a Rs100,000 cash settlement to drop the complaint. The family refused and continues to face harassment. Police have not yet registered a formal FIR even five days after the incident, citing they are waiting for a complaint registration. Women’s rights groups condemned the case, highlighting systemic failure and alleged collusion by local authorities to bury the case. The ward chair claims he only observed discussions and denies forcing any settlement.

Archive: https://archive.md/12jvP