Indian Museum staffer held for Japanese woman's rape

Kolkata, Jan 6 (IANS) A staffer of the Indian Museum here has been arrested in connection with the alleged rape of a 22-year-old Japanese woman tourist in November last year, police said Tuesday.

Kolkata police arrested five people and busted an inter-state racket operating in the city and in Bihar, who members had allegedly duped and raped the Japanese woman.

"Md. Wasim, exhibit cleaner of the Indian Museum, was arrested last midnight in connection with the Japanese woman's rape," a police official said Tuesday.

Three people from Kolkata and two from Gaya in Bihar were arrested earlier.

The gang operated from Kolkata and used to dupe and sometimes physically abuse Japanese tourists, according to Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) P.K. Ghosh.

After duping the Japanese woman of Rs.76,000 for sightseeing at Digha - a seaside resort city in East Midnapore district - the gang subsequently raped her in Fattepur, about 45 km from Bodh Gaya in Bihar.

"She was forced on to a bus from Digha to Bodh Gaya where two gang members raped her. The gang rape occurred between Nov 23 and 24," Ghosh said.

The Japanese consulate filed a complaint Dec 26 with the city police about the alleged rape, following which police formed a special team of officials from the detective department, the women's grievance cell and the bank fraud cell to solve the case.

While two of the accused have been charged with rape, three have been booked for cheating, criminal conspiracy and kidnapping among other offences.