Minor Dalit girl dies by suicide after gang rape

MEERUT: A 16-year-old Dalit girl died by suicide hours after she was raped by four teenagers in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Friday.

Two of the four accused have been arrested after the girl named them in a purported suicide note recovered from her room, the officers added.

“The suicide note has been sent for forensic examination,” Superintendent of Police Meerut (Rural) Keshav Mishra said.

One of the accused and the girl studied at the same tuition centre, Mishra said, adding that the four accused allegedly accosted her when she was returning home after her class on Thursday and raped her. The accused are aged between 18 and 19 years, he said. The girl died during treatment at the hospital on Thursday night, he added.

Meanwhile, the last rites of the minor were performed after a post-mortem examination, officials said. The girl’s family could not be reached.

“A case under Sections 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) was registered late on Thursday night against the accused,” said Mishra. Efforts are on to nab the other two accused, he added. Later, relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and Section 328 (causing hurt by means of poison) of the Indian Penal Code were also added to the FIR, he added.

A political row erupted in the state after the incident.

“Crimes against women and girls and Dalits under this government have become uncontrollable. But this government instead of checking the crime against women is busy in hollow publicity of Mission Shakti [campaign for women safety and empowerment] to fool people...,” said Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary.

The BJP, meanwhile, said that law will take its course. “...In UP law of the land is now supreme. This case that you mention or any other crime case, law will take it’s own course,” said UP BJP secretary Chandramohan.

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