Of an alleged rape, settlement attempt and revenge attack

The stabbing of the brother of a “rape victim” brought to light an alarming story.

Police sources said it began in 2017. Ram Proshad, 50, would go to the house of a mentally challenged girl at Keshurbari village in Thakurgaon sadar upazila, when her parents, both labourers, would have to leave her home to go to work.

Family members of the victim claimed that the vulnerable girl aged around 18 would be raped almost every day by Ram. He was married and had three children.

Around December 2017, she told her mother about the matter. Soon after that, the mother realised that her daughter was pregnant. She contacted Ram, who had told her not to tell anyone of the incident and suggested the girl has an abortion, the family claimed.

When the girl was taken to hospital, they were told that she was too far into her pregnancy to abort.

Her family members further added that the girl's father was told about the incident on February 18 when she was 33 weeks pregnant.

The girl's parents spoke to Ram's family again. Ram's family told them not to make the matter public and that a marriage would be arranged between them.

But a week later, they learnt that Ram went on the run and his family refused to speak about the matter.

The girl's father filed a case with Thakurgaon Police Station on Saturday night, accusing four people -- Ram Proshad, his brother Sagor Devnath, 55, and his nephews Haridas Devnath, 30, and Sabur Devnath, 43.

The incident came to light when a brother of the rape victim, aged 14, was stabbed that same night allegedly by Bakul Devnath, Ram's brother, when the former was on his way back home around 10:00pm.

The information on the entire incident was provided by police sources and the victim's family members.

Locals brought the injured brother to Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

Sub-inspector of Thakurgaon Police Station Azam Hossain said Ram Proshad had been raping the mentally-challenged girl since July 2017.

Police arrested Sagor Devnath, Ram Proshad's brother, early yesterday in this connection. They are trying to arrest the others.