A 12-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped last week in Jharkhand's Koderma district, committed suicide at her home on Wednesday night.
Police suspect that the girl, a Class 8 student, was under pressure to drop the charges and marry her rapist, forcing her to take the drastic step by consuming pesticide.
Reports said that accused, a 24-year-old who lived in the same village, raped the girl on 9 September when she on her way to a tuition centre. The next day, she informed her family about the incident. Angry villagers beat up the accused and handed him over to the police
After a police complaint was filed, the girl's family alleged that they were threatened by the family of the accused to withdraw the case and reach a compromise.
"The family of the accused came to us and demanded that we compromise. They also said we should let our daughter marry her attacker," the girl's mother told NDTV. "They threatened to frame us with false charges."
The tragedy came close on the heels of another similar incident, wherein a 32-year-old rape victim attempted suicide in a court room at Jharkhand's Medininagar in Palamau district, last month.
The woman allegedly consumed sulphur in the courtroom after appealing to the judge to hear her case first and was instead suggested to seek legal help.
Jharkhand, notorious for its high crime rate against women, has witnessed a steep rise in the number of rape cases this year. Around 500 such cases were reported till 31 May this year, which is a significant rise from the earlier figures of 328 and 292 in 2012 and 2011, respectively.
According to a Hindustan Times report, crimes cases in local villages are resolved during the manki-munda meetings. Victims of rape crimes are generally advised against filing police complaint and marry the accused.
