Police arrested one of three persons accused of raping a 15-year-old girl from Saptari today. Baldev Sardar, 35, of Kancharup Municipality-5 has been charged with raping the girl from the same village while the victim was returning home from the local grocery, police investigation said. On Wednesday, Sardar lured the girl under the pretext of giving her Rs 500, took her to a bush 100 meters south of the municipality and raped her, the investigation report said. Right after the incident, two people—Ashok Sah, 23, of Portaha-9 and Shiva Ram Sardar, 18, of the same village—who came on a motorcycle, took the girl with them on their motorcycle threatening her, Inspector Gaurab Mahat said. Under the influence of alcohol, they took the girl to Koshi barrage in Bharadaha-1 and raped her taking the turn, he said.

However, police arrested Sah and Shiva Ram when they were returning with the girl on a motorcycle after raping her. The two rapists were picked up during a security check. Police said that the two rapists tried to escape when they saw police conducting a security check. The rape victim was rushed to Dharan-based B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences while Sah and Shiva Ram are in police custody. Police said that investigation was ongoing and that a case would be filed against the rapists under abduction, hostage and rape charges.