Sarpanch booked for trying to settle ‘rape’ case for ₹2k

A village head tried to hush up an alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl in a Telangana district by trying to convince the victim’s mother to accept ₹2,000 from the suspect’s family, police officials have said.

The village head has now been booked.

On August 11, the girl was allegedly raped by a fellow villager who had offered her a ride home.

She and her mother, officials said, approached village head K Mahesh the following day and summoned the suspect and his family members for a panchayat.

“Apparently, the sarpanch tried to convince the (rape survivor’s ) mother that if she made a big issue of it, the girl’s life would be spoiled and the family would have to run around the police station and court,” Jagitial rural circle inspector of police Srinivasa Chowdary told Hindustan Times.

“He made the (accused) boy’s parents pay ₹2,000 to the woman to take the girl to the hospital and close the matter. But, she did not accept the money and came to the police to lodge a formal complaint against the boy and the sarpanch,” the police inspector added.

The girl is a Class 10 student and lives with her mother in the Telangana district, who earns a livelihood by making bamboo baskets.

“Since she was an uneducated woman, the sarpanch should have brought it to the notice of the police. But he tried to hush up the matter by offering ₹2,000 to her,” the inspector said.

Raikal sub-inspector Shiva Krishna, who is investigating the case, said the girl had been sent to the Jagitial government hospital for medical examination.

Meanwhile, the suspect has been booked under relevant sections for rape and sexual offences against children.