In yet another incident, a 19-year-old girl has been gang-raped at Dhimu in Khandachakra-9 of Kalikot district.

A group of 10 persons raped the girl, a 10^th grader at local Janajyoti Secondary School while she was returning home after observing a festival at Dhimu in Khandachakra Municipality-9, 30 km from the district headquarters, Manma.

Police have arrested eight persons for their alleged involvement in the gruesome crime on Wednesday night. Two of the accused are at large.

The arrestees have been identified as Sarjan BK, 18, of Chauki Village, Parba BK, 20, Gorkha BK, 18, of Chauki Village, Khandachakra-10 and Jeevan BK, 22, Nabin BK, 20, Dile Pariyar, 18, Subash BK, 21, and Harsha BK, 20, of Khandachakra-9, Inspector Niroj Chaulagain said.

According to a complaint lodged with police, the victim said that she was beaten mercilessly by the youths, who were sitting on the road by consuming alcohol, and took her near a stream and raped her in turn. The victim said that she was raped after she asked one of the youths to return the money he had borrowed from her.

The youths had also beaten the victim’s brother who had reached the incident site after hearing that his sister was raped, police said.

Following the incident, a police team under Inspector Chaulagain reached the incident site and arrested the eight persons. Police arrested them from their relatives’ houses and Lekali area.

DSP Binod Sharma, Chief at the District Police Office, Kalikot, said that they are looking into the case.

The victim has been taken to the District Hospital for health check-up.