Rape case: 4 days on, minor found pregnant

Victim told us that she had consensual physical relationship with her boyfriend... However, her parents told us that she was married to the same boy about a year ago.

DR M TAMIL VANAN, Jamshedpur SSP

JAMSHEDPUR: The case of a 15-year-old girl, who was allegedly gangraped in a school at Jamshedpur on Sunday, took another turn when her parents revealed about her marriage and their suspicion of her being pregnant.

Dr M Tamil Vanan, Jamshedpur senior superintendent of police (SSP), said that there was contradiction in the statements of the minor and her parents in this regard. “The victim told us that she had consensual physical relationship with her boyfriend who is presently in Chennal. However, her parents told us that she was married to the same boy about a year ago.”

The SSP said, “The doctors conducting the medical test on the minor told us informally that she appears to be pregnant. However, we are still waiting for a formal medical report from the medical board. Further investigation is on and this fact will bring in a fresh case under POCSO Act against the victim’s partner and child marriage case against the parents if these claims are proved to be true,”

Police had arrested four accused persons Biru Jonko, Kunal Kushal Soren, Ravundra Gope alias Tinku and Jaichand Mardi alias Tanke Ram and sent them to jail on Tuesday on charges of raping the victim in the school toilet late Sunday night.

SSP said they have requested the district deputy commissioner (DC) Suraj Kumar to summon the school management committee members and direct them to undertake regular checking and cleaning of the school. “We are increasing police patrolling in the area but the school management committee also needs to keep a vigil on the activities going on inside the premises, especially, now when it is closed since long period due to Covid-19 lockdown,” added Dr Vanan. The police were tracing the said husband of the victim and would arrest him under POCSO Act.

Police were under fire for certain “mistakes” in the case after it had picked up 17 suspects out of 22 on Tuesday and allegedly violated POCSO and JJ Acts. CWC member (legal) Alok Bhaskar said the police action to keep CWC in dark was violation of Section 19 (5) and (6) of the POCSO Act. Parsudih police did such mistakes also in a runaway case recently,” said Bhaskar.