SINDRI: Enraged over the failure of police in arresting the rapists of a tribal girl in the past two months, the JMM activists of Baliapur block led by former Jharkhand minister Mathura Mahto is staging an indefinite dharna in the area, starting from Monday.

Charging the Baliapur police of not taking the case seriously, the JMM leaders have threatened to launch a massive agitation if police failed to nab the rapists.

Aa 13 year old tribal girl was gang raped near Sidurpur rivulet on October 9 while she was returning home from bi-weekly village market (hatia) at Baliapur.

Four youths led by a shopkeeper Suraj Vishwakarma forcibly lifted her and raped her in the bushes close to the market. When passersby heard her screams for help, they raised an alarm and rescued the girl. However the rapists managed to escape.

The police lodged a case against the accused but no arrests have been made so far. Police are lax and not taking the case seriously as the victim is a poor tribal girl, alleged Ishwar Marandi, block president of JMM and said that on several occasions, the party leaders have met police officials but no action has been taken. "We will continue the dharna till the rapists are brought to book," he added.

When contacted Sindri DSP Rama Shankar Singh said that the police have raided several places in search of the accused but since the accused seems to have left the district, the police have not been able to nab them. The police have acquired the proclamation orders from court and the process for property attachment has already been started, he informed adding that it was wrong to say that the police administration is lax in nabbing the culprits.

