Tribal woman gang-raped by cousin, four others

GONDIA: A tribal woman was allegedly gang-raped by five men, including her cousin, in Palasgaon of Deori tehsil in the wee hours of Sunday. Police patil Gopal Fulsunge of the village lodged a complaint with Chichgarh police station after the survivor, in her 40s, was found lying naked in an unconscious state behind a tea stall.
Villagers claimed the police are reluctant to register an offence against the accused whose names are yet to be ascertained.Her cousin belongs to Jhansinagar in Deori tehsil.
Assistant sub-inspector Sandeep Maske of Chichgarh police station was unavailable for comment. Sources in the police station claimed that the tribal woman was not telling proper sequence of the incident. Her medical report ruled out rape, the sources added. She was found drunk and an offence of attempt to rape has been registered, the sources said.
According to Fulsunge, the survivor hails from Korchi village in Gadchiroli district. She had come to attend a marriage in Palasgaon (Chutiya). In their tribe, there is a custom of some entertainment function on the previous night of the marriage. The function got over around midnight and the survivor went to answer nature's call at a nearby isolated place when she was allegedly gang raped by the five men.
The incident came to light when the owner came to open his tea stall on Sunday morning and noticed the survivor. He immediately reported the matter to Fulsunge who in turn alerted the Chichgarh police station. She was sent for a medical examination to the government hospital in Deori.