AMBALA: Issuing justification before the media, the
sarpanch of a village — where a three-year-old was allegedly raped by a retired Army jawan — said that none of the members of the village
panchayat forced the family members of the alleged rape survivor to take Rs 5 lakh compensation and reach a compromise.
The sarpanch said he was not present in the village on the day when the villagers had gathered. “The parents of the girl came to me the next morning and I guided them to report the matter to the police. It was their own community members and some former panchayat associates, who laid stress on settling down the matter with Rs 5 lakh compensation,” the sarpanch said. “It is shameful that some villagers took such a decision and we are really upset because of this,” he added.
On August 15, a retired 55-year-old Army jawan had allegedly raped a three-and-a-halfyear-old girl at his residence in the absence of his wife. It was alleged that the accused lured the minor with sweets and then raped her. The incident came to fore when the girl told her mother about the pain in her abdomen. The survivor’s mother told her husband, who then called the village panchayat and informed the police.
According to the parents of the minor, the village panchayat tried to solve the matter and asked the parents to take Rs 5 lakh and reach a compromise.
The accused has been arrested and is under judicial custody. He has been booked under Sections 6 (punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of
Indian Penal Code.
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