A local BJP leader was gangraped by a group of unidentified men on the outskirts of Jharkhand capital Ranchi, police said on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old victim, associated with the BJP's minority cell, told the police that around 20 men barged into her residence in Masmano village under Chanho police station, about 40 km from the state capital, and raped her in the wee hours on Sunday.

The victim has accused the men of her own community of targeting her owing to her political affiliation. She alleged that the accused also beat up her husband and abused 13-year-old daughter before decamping with cash and jewellery worth about Rs 2.5 lakh.

The woman's one-and-a-half-hour ordeal ended only when a neighbour rushed to the mosque after noticing commotion and announced on the loudspeaker about the "robbery". The miscreants fled before the neighbours could arrive to the woman's rescue.

The woman was sent to Sadar Hospital in Ranchi for a medical examination by a team of three doctors on Tuesday. Its result was yet to be known.

The police identified seven accused and arrested one of them - Julfan Ansari - on Monday, but released him on personal bond after protesters laid siege to the police station.

- With agency inputs

