50-year-old Woman Gang-Raped by Two Elderly Men on Pretext of Saving Her from Social Stigma

 A woman was allegedly raped by two elderly men in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district on the pretext of saving her family from social ostracism they faced after her son married a woman from another caste, police said Tuesday.

The 50-year-old survivor was raped in Thara town over a month ago by two elders of her community who lured her on the pretext of bringing her family back into the caste fold, they said.

Her family members were socially expelled from the community when the victims son married a woman from another caste, the police said.

The accused, both aged 65, are currently on the run, they said. Police sub-inspector M B Devda said the two accused are senior members of the carpenter community to which the victims family belongs.

He said the victim produced an audio clip in which the accused were heard resorting to black mailing the woman into raping her in exchange for removing the social expulsion that her family faced from the community.

The accused, identified as Ranchhodbhai Suthar and Vjolbhai Suthar, residents of Dharnal village in the district, had assured the victim re-entry into the caste fold if she satisfied them sexually, the police officer said.

A case under sections pertaining to gang-rape and blackmailing was lodged at the Thara police station and further investigation was on, he said.