5 Activists Gang-Raped In Jharkhand, Allegedly At Gunpoint

Vartha Bharati | 22-06-2018 | 14:51:00 IST

PATNA:  Five women from a non-profit conducting an awareness campaign at a tribal area of Jharkhand were abducted and gang-raped at gunpoint. The men accompanying them have been thrashed. The police said the rapists made a video and used it to threaten the women with exposure if they complained.

The 11-member team, belonging to a non-profit supported by local Christian missionaries, had gone to hold a street play against human trafficking at Kochang in Khunti district, around 50 km from state capital Ranchi.

As the performance was in progress, a group of armed men came on bikes, beat up the men and took away the women at gunpoint. They were released in the jungle three hours later. The two nuns who had accompanied the women, however, were released unharmed.

After being threatened by the men, the women did not inform the administration about the incident. The officials were tipped off by sources, reported news agency Press Trust of India, quoting local police officer Ashwini Kumar Sinha.

The police have detained nine persons for questioning and a medical board has also been formed, the police said. Medical examination has confirmed rape and a case has been filed. Mr Sinha said three teams have been formed to investigate the matter and arrest the culprits.

Reports from the area say the men involved are supporters of Pathalgadi -- a tribal system under which the people govern themselves according to the tribe's rules and do not recognize the state's authority. They argue that the Constitution has given them the right to practice their own systems.

The name Pathalgadi is related to the huge stone slabs inscribed with ancestral names that are preserved by the villagers.

Outsiders, including the police and government officials, are not allowed in these villages without permission.

courtesy : ndtv.com

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First-ever life-size Vivekananda statue in US unveiled in Seattle

12-04-2026 ¦ 12-04-2026 IST

Photo: PTI

New York (PTI): The first-ever life-size statue of Swami Vivekananda in the US was unveiled in Seattle, honouring the renowned Indian philosopher and spiritual leader.

The life-size bronze statue, installed at the busy Westlake Square in downtown Seattle, is the first such installation hosted by a city government anywhere in the US, officials said.

Sculpted by Indian artist Naresh Kumar Kumawat, it was jointly unveiled on Saturday by Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Consul General of India in Seattle Prakash Gupta.

"From Chicago 1893 to Seattle 2026! Seattle's skyline has a new Indian icon: Swami Vivekananda! City of Seattle becomes the first city government to host the Swami Vivekananda Monument in the heart of downtown Seattle," the Consulate General of India in Seattle said in a social media post.

Addressing the event, Wilson said the monument reflects Seattle's inclusive spirit and strengthens cultural ties between India and the diverse metropolitan tech hub in the US Pacific Northwest.

The statue has been gifted by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) to the City of Seattle in recognition of its "in recognition of the city’s rich multicultural character and spirit of inclusivity", the Indian mission in Seattle said in a statement.

The unveiling of the statue was held on the occasion of the celebration of ICCR Day and is part of India's broader cultural diplomacy initiatives aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties between India and the US Pacific Northwest, the Consulate said.

Located at the bustling Westlake Square, which sees over 400,000 visitors daily, the monument stands near prominent landmarks including the Amazon headquarters ‘Spheres’, the Seattle Convention Centre and the Seattle Centre Monorail.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by several local leaders, including mayors from cities in the Greater Seattle area, community representatives and members of the Indian-American diaspora.

Swami Vivekananda had delivered his historic address at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, introducing Hindu philosophy to a global audience.