Four Bangladeshis detained in elderly nun rape case

Police say no charges filed yet, interrogation ongoing.

Nuns join a vigil last month after the brutal gang rape of a nun in her 70s.

New Delhi:  Four Bangladeshi men were detained today by police in the Ludhiana district of Punjab state in connection with the rape of an elderly nun last month.

“Interrogation of the four men is going on and only after that we can reach to any conclusion that they were involved in the crime,” Naveen Singla, deputy commissioner of police, told ucanews.com.

The nun, who is in her 70s, was raped on March 14 inside the Convent of Jesus and Mary in Ranghat area in eastern West Bengal state. The nun needed surgery after the incident.

Her attackers also escaped with 1 million rupees (US$15,950) worth of stolen goods.

Hinting that there could be more detentions in the case, Singla said that police were tipped off to the men’s presence in Ludhiana from the West Bengal police.

“We are closely working with the West Bengal police. We have informed them about the detention and their team is scheduled to reach Ludhiana by evening,” he added.

The detention of the four men comes six days after a suspect was arrested in western Mumbai in connection with the incident.

Singla said that they are facing a language problem with these men during interrogation and are using a translator.

The four men, who are illegal immigrants in India, are also suspected of involvement in various other crimes of robbery and theft in other parts of the country.

The rape of the nun sparked outrage and led thousands of people to demonstrate in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed concern in parliament over the attack.

Meanwhile, the nun has left Kolkata for an undisclosed location after she was discharged from hospital late last month.

Source: UCAN