Siraha gang-rape case: Two more arrested, total reaches 10

KATHMANDU: Police have arrested two more individuals in connection with the gang rape and suspicious death of 17-year-old Rinku Sada from Bhagwatipur, Nawarajpur Rural Municipality-1, Siraha.

The arrested individuals have been identified as 55-year-old Kaari Sada and 66-year-old Ramdev Sada, both locals.

According to the Siraha District Police Office, they were taken into custody on the 25th of this month.

DSP Birendra Kumar Paswan stated that a court-approved remand has been obtained for further investigation.

Police revealed that both individuals were involved in conducting a ‘Panchayati’ (informal village tribunal) to settle the case instead of reporting it to the authorities. With this, the total number of arrests in the case has reached ten.

Earlier, the main accused in the rape, Rupesh Mandal, along with ward member Nathuni Sah and other locals—Ramkripal Mandal, Bindeshwar Sah, Rajendra Mandal, Chandeshwar Mandal, Ramvinod Mandal, and Kamlesh Das—had been arrested.

Among them, Rupesh, Nathuni, Ramkripal, and Bindeshwar were directly named in the complaint, while the others were involved in the Panchayati process.

The horrific incident took place on the night of Magh 27 (Feb 9), when Rinku was gang-raped by three youths while she had gone outside to relieve herself.

She returned home the next morning in distress. However, instead of seeking justice, local elders held a Panchayati meeting on the 29th and 30th of Magh to settle the matter within the village.

The Panchayati imposed a fine of Rs 140,000 on the perpetrators and barred the victim’s family from going to the police. When the informal settlement failed and threats from the accused continued, Rinku was found hanging in her home on the evening of Magh 30 (Feb 12).

The case has sparked outrage, with calls for strict legal action against those responsible. Police continue to investigate.