After arresting the father, minor brother and uncle for allegedly raping a 13-year-old school girl, police sources said that the extended family of the victim is putting pressure on her to withdraw the case, NDTV reports.
Police arrested the three men after the girl revealed the shocking incident to her school teacher. The 15-year-old brother of the victim has been sent to a juvenile home, while the father and uncle were remanded to judicial custody.
Police said a fourth accused, another uncle of the victim, who was also involved in the case, is on the run, according to NDTV. At present, the girl is being kept at a women's centre in Kerala. The victim's mother has also not taken any stand on the issue.
"We are taking care of the girl's guardianship and we are taking care of her. It is a sad situation where her mother is not coming forward to lodge a complaint. She is afraid as her own family is involved," Kerala Vanitha Commission Chairperson, KC Rosakutty told PTI.
The incident came to light when the minor told her teacher that she would commit suicide like her elder sister, Congress activist Suma Balakrishnan told IANS.
The victim's elder sister committed suicide two years ago to escape similar abuse, according to Thalassery Circle Inspector, MV Vinod Kumar. In 2010, the elder sister was hospitalised with burn injuries.
"We have started a probe into the sister's dying declaration before a magistrate, in which she stated it was an accident. There are loose ends in the girl's claims on her sister's suicide," HT quoted Kumar saying.
