New Delhi: The West Bengal Police have made a breakthrough in the case involving the gang rape of a Catholic nun by arresting two suspects.
One was arrested in Mumbai, more than 2,000 km west of the crime scene. Another man was arrested Thursday near Kolkata for allegedly harboring the gang that attacked the nun at her convent.
The West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department picked up Mohammed Salim Sheikh from Nagpada in south Mumbai Wednesday night. He was brought to Kolkata, capital of West Bengal state, for questioning.
This was the first arrest in what is now known as the Ranaghat nun gang-rape case.
A Jesus and Mary nun, who is in her 70s, was assaulted March 14 when a gang broke into a church and a convent school at Ranaghat, about 80 km north of Kolkata. CCTV footage had captured at least six faces. The nun has left the eastern Indian state after undergoing surgery. She has already a visiting Church leader that she had forgiven her offenders.
The police reportedly traced Sheikh through his cellphone details.
The gang had vandalized the school and damaged a statue of Jesus Christ in a chapel before breaking into the nuns’ quarters.
The attackers locked all the nuns in a room, and dragged one of them, who was then raped. They also took away 200,000 rupees from the office cupboard and some valuables from the chapel situated in Ranaghat town in Nadia district.
Eight people were detained for questioning but no arrests were made, which led to anger against the Bengal police and government.
The incident came in a series of attacks on churches in recent weeks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised a crackdown on religious violence and had said he was deeply concerned about the attack on the nun.
The District Superintendent of Police had announced a reward of 100,000 rupees to anyone who could provide credible information leading to the arrest of the accused.