12-year-old held over rape of girl in Dinajpur

A woman was arrested yesterday in connection with the rape of a schoolgirl in Tangail, while in Dinajpur, a 12-year-old boy was arrested for the rape of a seven-year old.

In Tangail, the victim's father filed a case on Tuesday night against one Ratan Sarkar, a clothes trader, and Sumi Begum, the girl's neighbour.

Saidul Islam Bhuiyan, officer-in-charge of Delduar Police Station, told The Daily Star that after the case was filed, police conducted a raid and arrested Sumi. She was presented before court yesterday.

Saidul added that the victim was sent to hospital for tests while drives were being conducted to arrest Ratan.

According to the case statement, the schoolgirl went to Sumi's house on Saturday evening and Ratan went there at the same time.

Allegedly as per previously planned, Sumi gave the girl a piece of cake and asked Ratan to give her water. He drugged the girl by mixing sedatives in the water. When she was senseless, Sumi and Ratan tied her hands and legs and he raped her.

When the girl did not return home, her mother and elder sister went to Sumi's house and found the girl tied up.

Meanwhile in Dinajpur's Phulbari Upazila, police arrested a 12-year-old rape accused early yesterday. 

Police produced the boy before a Senior Judicial Magistrate's court yesterday afternoon.

Dinajpur's Court Inspector Israel Hossain said the court recorded the boy's statement and is yet to decide where he should be sent.

Phulbari Police arrested the boy from his home, said family members said.

Quoting the First Information Report, the boy, on Tuesday afternoon, lured the seven-year-old girl behind a bush and raped her.

Hearing her screams, locals rushed there and rescued her but the boy had fled by then.

The girl's mother filed the case with Phulbari Police Station on Tuesday night, said Mahmudul Hasan Inspector (Investigation) and the office-in-charge of the station.

The girl was sent to M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital for forensic test, police said.

(Our Tangail and Dinajpur correspondents contributed to the report.)