AKOLE (AHMEDNAGAR): A gang of six dacoits robbed six women in Veergaon village of Akole taluka of Ahmednagar, allegedly gang-raped two and stripped and beat up four older women, before decamping with gold ornaments weighing 30 grams and Rs 5,000, early on Saturday morning.

Though the victims told the police and journalists that two of the women were gangraped, district superintendent of police Krishnaprakash denied this. “There has been a rape but it was not gang rape and the older women were not stripped,” he said, after visiting the village early in the evening.

Additional superintendent of police Sunil Kadasane who also visited the village said, “The women were taken to the Akole rural hospital and the medical examination revealed that two of them were raped.”

A case has been registered and further investigations are on, he added. When this reporter visited the village on Sangamner road, about 80 km from Shirdi, the victims said that the incident occurred around 1.30 am at their home. The owner of the home, who was 75 years old, had died five days ago and two of his married daughters had come to stay with their mother and three other women relatives.

There was no male member in the house when the incident happened. The mother said that they were sleeping when the six dacoits barged into the house. “Two dacoits grabbed the gold ornaments and Rs 5,000, while the remaining four gang-raped the daughters, aged 27 and 32. Four of us older women, aged 60 to 65 years, were stripped, beaten up and made to witness the gang rape.” she said.

She said that they pleaded with the dacoits not to rape the daughters but the dacoits did not listen. They left the house after two hours and bolted the door from outside. The women were too terrified to call for help, she said. Around 6 am, the women told their neighbours, who took them to hospital. Shiv Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe has issued a statement stating that the Akole incident has highlighted the poor law and order situation in the state.

“Each district headquarters is supposed to have an anti-dacoity squad, however these squads have inadequate manpower and equipment which renders them ineffective. The government must take steps to strengthen these squads,” she said, adding that the police should not try to underplay the incident fearing public pressure.