Kawardha (Chhattisgarh): A rape victim attempted suicide by trying to set herself on fire in front of the police station after cops failed to book her culprits. Police have arrested the main accused but six others who allegedly assaulted the girl are yet to be booked.
The incident took place in front of the superintendent's office in Pandatarai police station area in Chhattisgarh's Kabirdham on Monday. As soon as the girl poured kerosene on herself and took out a matchbox, the media persons around her stopped her. They snatched the matchbox from her hand and saved her life. None of the senior police officers were present at the office at that time. The incident has raised a stir in the area.
The victim was in love with a youth from her village for three years. The youth did not allow her to marry someone else. When the girl pressurised him to marry her, he took her to Raipur on the pretext of tying the knot on July 2, 2023. There he allegedly raped her in a hotel.
On July 4, the accused called his family members to Raipur at midnight. They thrashed the girl and threatened her against being in contact with the youth. Then they took her in a car and after roaming throughout the night, pushed her from the moving vehicle in Mungeli. After which, they fled.
The victim informed her family and lodged a complaint against the accused and his family members at Pandatarai police station. But, the victim's FIR was initially not registered at the Pandatarai police station. The victim then went to the SP office in Kawardha to complain about the matter. Following which, an FIR was finally registered against the accused in Pandatarai police station and he was arrested.
But, no action was taken against the six others who had allegedly assaulted her and pushed her out of the moving car. The girl kept demanding action against the them. Finally, distressed over police inaction, the girl attempted suicide.
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Pandaria SDOP Pankaj Patel rejected the allegations of the victim. He said that a case has been registered in Raipur regarding the assault on her. The main accused in the case has already been arrested and is in jail, he said adding that the allegation of police inaction is completely baseless.
