PITHORAGARH/DEHRADUN: A 32-year-old woman from the endangered Van Raji community was allegedly raped and found grievously injured near a ravine along the Jauljibi-Dharchula road in Pithoragarh on Nov 23, and succumbed to her injuries two days later. The attack is believed to have occurred during the Jauljibi fair, but her reclusive community, fearing harassment from the accused, refrained from reporting the incident until Friday, when a local activist intervened and informed the authorities.
The Van Rajis, a reclusive mountain tribe that primarily lives along the India-Nepal border in Uttarakhand, has only around 900 members across the country. Traditionally forest dwellers, they are shy by nature and prefer to stay isolated from other communities. At the behest of activists, the community members held a demonstration on Saturday, demanding justice and protection.
Lalit Rajwar, a community member, said the woman was attacked while she was returning home after selling wood at the fair.
The Jauljibi fair is a annual event in the border town, attracting merchants from Tibet, Nepal, and India, who trade in commodities ranging from wool and borax to salt. Police suspect that an outsider may have followed the woman and attacked her.