Girl ‘gang-raped by men in uniform’ commits suicide

BHUBANESWAR:A 14-year-old tribal girl, who had charged “four men in uniform” with rape three months ago in Odisha’s Koraput district, allegedly committed suicide on Monday, the police said.

The Class 11 student allegedly hanged herself. She was later rushed to a local community health centre in an unconscious state, they said. “She was declared dead on arrival by the doctors,” Sunabeda sub-divisional police officer Narahari Nayak said.

“She took the extreme step out of frustration at not getting justice,” a relative of the girl said.

The girl earlier, too, attempted suicide by consuming excess of iron pills and had to be hospitalised in Cuttack, the relative said.

The girl had on October 10 last year alleged that she was raped by “four men in uniform” at Kunduli while she was returning to her home at Musaguda village in the Naxal-hit Koraput district.

However, the state police had later claimed in a report that the girl was not raped at all.

THE GIRL EARLIER, TOO, ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY CONSUMING EXCESS OF IRON PILLS AND HAD TO BE HOSPITALISED IN CUTTACK

The Human Rights Protection Cell of Odisha police had, in its report to the Odisha Human Rights Commission, claimed that the girl was not raped. But she stuck to her claim.

CM Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over her suicide. Opposition Congress party demanded a CBI probe into the alleged suicide. “The minor girl was under tremendous pressure and was doubtful about getting justice. It is unfortunate that a young girl had to end her life after being denied justice,” Congress leader Pradeep Majhi said.

The matter had taken a dramatic turn with the girl alleging after about a fortnight of her rape complaint that senior police officer tried to “influence” her to withdraw the case, a charge which was denied.