Suicide after threat by rape accused

TT, Raiganj, May 31: A schoolgirl in North Dinajpur hanged herself at home after her alleged rapist threatened her yesterday outside the court for deposing against him.

The girl's family lodged a police complaint last night, saying the youth's threats had driven the 16-year-old to commit suicide.

According to the account given by the victim's sister, her own family's move for a settlement at a village meeting with the 23-year-old youth against her wishes could have also played a part.

Accounts given by the victim's sister and her uncle have revealed a tale of attempted coercion by the youth, who allegedly wanted the girl to change her statement. The girl, according to her family and the public prosecutor, stuck to her charge of rape. After this she was threatened again by the youth yesterday outside a district fast-track court.

The accused youth, who was earlier a rice mill worker, and his family are now untraceable.

According to sources in Kaliaganj police station, the girl had filed a complaint on December 16, 2013, saying the neighbourhood youth had raped her after breaking into her room on December 14.

The police said the youth was arrested on the basis of the complaint.

Shekhar Pal, the public prosecutor, said Kaliaganj police had submitted the chargesheet in the rape case. "The police had submitted the chargesheet accusing him of rape. The accused had moved the high court soon after his arrest and secured bail," Pal said.

The schoolgirl's elder sister said that in April 2014, the girl's father and brother had accepted a decision at a village elders' meeting that the police case would be withdrawn after the youth pays Rs 90,000 to the victim's family.

"My parents were sleeping in a separate room and the youth broke into my sister's room and raped her. When she raised the alarm, he escaped after threatening to kill her if she complained. However, my sister went to the police and filed a complaint accusing the youth of raping her. He was arrested and was later released on bail," the victim's elder sister said.

"The matter was discussed at length at the village meeting (in April 2014). At the meeting it was settled that Rs 90,000 would be paid and my niece would withdraw the case. The youth and his family paid the money at the beginning of this year and moved out to a village 4km away," the victim's uncle said today.

The elder sister of the girl said that even though her father and brother had agreed to the Rs 90,000 settlement, her younger sister was not willing to reconcile.

"My sister was against withdrawing the case. But she remained silent keeping the poor condition of our family in mind. On Saturday, when I and my uncle arrived at the court, the youth approached us outside the courtroom. He told my sister that she should tell the judge that she had brought false charges against him after she wanted to marry him but he refused," the elder sister said.

"But, my sister did not give in. She told the judge what had happened to her on the night of December 14, 2013," the sister said.

When the victim was leaving the court with her sister and some other villagers, the accused youth allegedly threatened to kill her for what she had done.

"As soon as we came out of the courtroom, he approached us and started hurling abuses at my sister and threatened to kill her. He then left the place," the elder sister said.

Public prosecutor Pal said: "The victim told the judge about what had happened on the night of December 14, 2013. She told the court about the youth raping her. After that, I saw the accused engaged in a heated argument with the victim and her family members outside the courtroom."

After the two sisters returned home at 4pm, the younger one said she would go to her room to change her clothes.

When she did not emerge from her room after an hour, the family got alarmed and broke the door open.

The girl had hanged herself using a dupatta.

Anup Ghosh, the inspector in charge of Kaliaganj police station, said a case had been started based on the complaint filed by the girl's brother on Saturday evening.

"We have received a complaint that after deposing in court on Saturday, the girl was threatened by the accused leading her to commit suicide. We have started the investigation. The accused is missing and we have been conducting raids. The body of the girl has been handed over to her relatives after the post-mortem."