Koraput, January 23: After being denied justice, a 14-year-old rape survivor committed suicide in Odisha’s Koraput district. The schoolgirl allegedly that she was gangraped three months ago by four men wearing battle fatigues. She had earlier publicly accused police of harassing her to change her statement.
Holding state government and police responsible for her death, her mother said, “Social stigma and denial of justice forced my daughter to commit suicide. The state government and police are responsible for her death. Police suppressed the case to shield the four uniformed rapists,” her mother said, the Times of India reported.
On October 10, 2017, the girl alleged that she had been raped by four uniformed men inside the Lanjiguda forest while she was on her way to school. The area is considered to be a Maoist bastion, and also hosts a heavy presence of police and paramilitary personnel. Initially, the police blamed Maoists for it but they issued several statements denying their involvement.
On November 7, Odisha police’s human rights protection cell concluded that the girl had not been raped, citing the medical examination report.
Even Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ordered separate investigations by the crime branch and a senior judicial magistrate.
The girl also accused the police of trying to force her to change her statetment. The Class IX student pointed at senior police officers and accused them of trying to bribe her at a programme in Bhubaneswar.
Following the news of her death, villagers assembled at the hospital and prevented authorities from conducting an autopsy. The area remains tense.