Minor gang-raped by seven men in Chhattisgarh; FIR filed after father attempts suicide

The Chhattisgarh Police who refused to file an FIR in a gang-rape case hurriedly lodged the case after the minor victim’s father attempted suicide on Tuesday, October 6, 2020. The minor girl had killed herself on July 20, 2020 after she was raped by seven men at a wedding in Kondagaon district of Chhattisgarh.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Yashwant Jain has written to the Kondagaon SP, seeking action against the local police inspector for not registering an FIR earlier. The commission has asked for a detailed investigation report within 10 days. While police say they were not informed about the gang-rape earlier, sources in Kondagaon say local police had promised her father that they would take action, but did nothing.

“As per preliminary information, the girl had gone to attend a relative’s wedding at a neighbouring village when she was taken to a nearby forest by two drunken men. There, five others joined them and she was raped for several hours,” Bastar range IG P. Sundarraj told TOI.

“She stayed quiet when the rapists brought her back to the wedding venue. She returned to her village early, without telling anything to her parents, who had stayed back,” the IG said.

“Several days later, the girl’s friend told the family about the gang-rape. They were shocked, but didn’t know if a case could still be pursued as she was already dead. In their ignorance of the law, the family didn’t get back to police. After two months, her father also attempted suicide by consuming pesticide, but was saved,” IG Sundarraj said.

“Two accused are still missing. A Special Investigation Team headed by Kondagaon Superintendent of Police Anand Sahu has been formed to look into the matter,” P Sundarraj said.

The girl’s body buried by her family on the outskirts of their village in Kondagaon has now been exhumed for autopsy, said police.