An 18-year-old woman of Biratnagar Metropolitan City-14 was returning home after celebrating her birthday on Thursday. The program to celebrate the birth anniversary was organized at a hotel in Biratnagar. After the birthday party, one of her friends said that he will drop her home. But, she could not reach home safely. She was gang raped on her own birthday.

A group of people intercepted a motorbike she was riding pillion at Mahato Tole in Jatuwa of Biratnagar-14.

They, under the influence of alcohol, took both the rider and the pillion rider under control and started beating them. DSP Deepak Shrestha of the District Police Office, Morang, said that the incident occurred at 9: 45 pm. The rider somehow managed to escape from them. The same group, however, raped the woman, DSP Shrestha said. The youth reached a village and asked help from the villagers. Later, those who were involved in the heinous crime fled the scene after the locals started gathering in the village. Police said that the motorbike rider sustained injuries on his head and face among other parts of the body. The woman also sustained injuries on various parts of her body. Both of them are undergoing treatment at the Biratnagar-based Koshi Hospital. Police said that they have arrested a person involved in the crime. The suspect has been identified as Santosh Mandal (29) of Biratnagar-14. DSP Shrestha said that they are searching for other people involved in the incident.