Rohingya Woman Gangraped, Held Captive For 3 Months

An 18-year-old Rohingya woman was allegedly confined in a room for three months and repeatedly raped by her husband and three of his associates within the Hyderabad police commissionerate limits.

The crime came to light when the house owner went to collect rent and found the door locked from outside. Suspicious of a foul smell emanating from the house, he broke open the door and found the woman lying semi-conscious. He alerted local women, who helped rescue her, and informed the police, officials said.

A woman police officer who counselled the victim and recorded her statement on Tuesday said she had been confined since the first week of July and deprived of proper food. The room had no ventilation, and she was not allowed to use the toilet, the officer said.

“The victim is traumatised. The accused allegedly stuffed cloth into her mouth to prevent her from raising an alarm and switched off the power supply,” a police officer who visited the scene said. Police and CLUES teams inspected the scene and collected evidence, including used condoms, liquor bottles, empty food packets and glasses.

The victim was shifted to a government hospital for medical examination and treatment. She was also counselled by psychologists from the Bharosa team. Doctors said she required medical attention and was expected to recover within a week, a police officer said.

Police also recovered the victim's mobile phone, which had been switched off and hidden by her husband in the same room, sources said.

Investigators found that the accused, Md Fayaz, allegedly brought the woman from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Hyderabad about three months ago on the pretext of marriage. He and his three associates, identified as Mujeeb, Kamal and Rehman, allegedly confined her in the house, subjected her to physical and mental torture and repeatedly raped her after consuming liquor, police said.

Rajendranagar ACP A. Sudhakar said the house owner became suspicious after Fayaz failed to respond to his calls. When the owner went to collect the rent, he noticed the foul smell, broke open the door and found the woman in a semi-conscious state. He alerted women in the neighbourhood, who gave her water and informed the police, the ACP said.

Fayaz and his associates reportedly work as casual labourers and have been living in Hyderabad for several years. Police have informed the victim's family and formed three special teams to apprehend the accused, Sudhakar said.

A case has been registered against the four accused for rape, illegal confinement, physical assault, cheating and criminal breach of trust, police said.

Four persons have been detained for questioning, though police are yet to officially confirm their arrests, sources said. Police and Special Branch teams are also working to identify other undocumented migrants in the zone, sources added.