A 26-year-old tribal software engineer working for a multinational IT company in Bangalore has said she was gang-raped on a dark and desolate stretch in her native Chaibasa, Jharkhand.

The woman, who had gone out with a male friend, said around 10 men attacked them on Thursday evening and raped her till she lost consciousness. They also allegedly took away her purse, which contained ATM cards and Rs 5,000 in cash, and mobile phone.

The woman works remotely for the IT company from her home on the outskirts of Chaibasa, West Singhbhum district. She lodged an FIR at the Mufassil police station on Friday morning against 10 unidentified persons. A medical exam has confirmed rape, the police said.

She said that on Thursday evening she was out with her friend on a two-wheeler near the old aerodrome area around 5km from the district headquarters when the men stopped them, beat up her companion and took turns to rape her. The attackers leftafter she fainted.

The woman somehow returned home later that evening and narrated her ordeal to her parents. West Singhbhum police chief Ashutosh Shekhar has formed a special investigation team.

“The area where the incident took place is deserted and dark. We have come to know that the culprits were speaking in a tribal language. We have formed a special investigation team led by Chaibasa DSP Dilip Khalko and Jagannathpur DSP Ikud Dungdung. The Mahila police station is also monitoring the case. The medical examination of the victim was done on Friday at the Sadar Hospital in Chaibasa. Her condition is stable. We have detained around five youths for interrogation. We are confident of nabbing all the accused soon,” Shekhar said.

The students’ union of Kolhan University has condemned the gang rape.

“We will organise a Chaibasa bandh if the accused are not arrested at the earliest,” said union secretary Subodh Mahakud.