A 17-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly abducted and gang-raped on Monday night while she was returning home after working at a clothes shop in Bihar’s Samastipur district.

The seriously injured victim later managed to reach home and was rushed by her parents to a nearby community health centre. The doctors at the health centre referred her to Samastipur Sadar Hospital, where she is being treated now.

The incident occurred on Monday night after the shop at Singhia Chowk market, where the girl worked, closed for the day. She was walking towards her residence around 8:15pm when three men accosted her at a deserted place. They forcibly took her to a nearby litchi orchard and allegedly raped her. The miscreants seemed to have fled after she fell unconscious.

“She regained consciousness and managed to reach us. We were shocked after seeing her covered in blood and mud. We took her to the hospital,” a family member of the victim told media persons.

The victim’s family informed police and the police went to the hospital where she is admitted and recorded her statement. They also arrested a person in connection with the incident.

Vibhutipur station house officer Chandrakant Gauri said that prima facie the case seemed to be of rape.

“Though the medical examination reports are yet to come, the doctors treating her have also said that she was raped. We have registered an FIR and arrested a man in connection with the incident. Two other persons involved in it have also been identified. They are absconding and we are making all efforts to nab them,” Gauri said.

The arrested person is of around 40 years of age and is said to be a casual worker often seen in the area. The two people, who are absconding, are his associates.

Vibhutipur CPM MLA Ajay Kumar visited the girl in the hospital and said that his party will launch an agitation if all the people involved in the crime are not arrested and punished.

“Bihar is witnessing a significant spurt in incidents of crime, including crime against women. There is no fear of the law or the police among the criminals. The state government has lost its control over law and order,” Kumar told reporters.