SAMBALPUR: In a tragic turn of events, the 15-year-old girl who was gang-raped in Sason on May 3, committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling of her rented house on Wednesday evening.
The girl took the extreme step when she was alone in the house. Sources said the victim’s mother had asked her to check the food being prepared in the kitchen before leaving for market. Her father and sister had also gone out of the house for some work.
The incident came to light after the landlord found burning smell of food coming out of the kitchen. On reaching the victim’s house, he saw the girl hanging from the ceiling. He immediately informed the girl’s family members and villagers about the incident. On being informed, police rushed to the spot, seized the girl’s body and sent to VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla for autopsy. The victim’s mobile phone was also seized by the cops.
On May 3, the girl had gone with one Afzal on a date. However, Afzal took her to a secluded place and raped her before fleeing from the spot. Subsequently, the girl went towards Sason canal where she met two other accused Tinu Sahu and Hadu Panchabiha. The duo offered to drop the girl in her house but took her to a desolate place and raped her. Later, Ashirwad Behera and Abhilash Panchabiha, the other accused, arrived at the spot and took turns to rape her. A 13-year-old juvenile was also accompanying Ashirwad and Abhilash when they committed the crime.
While Afzal was arrested by police on May 4, the other five accused were apprehended the next day. Taking the matter seriously, Sambalpur police submitted chargesheet of the case within 15 days. The cops had even requested the court for speedy trial of the case so that the culprits are punished without any delay.
Sambalpur SP Sanjeev Arora said he was deeply saddened by the incident. “Police had taken all steps to provide justice to the victim.
We had also initiated the process to help the girl as per the Victim Compensation Scheme, 2012,” he said.This is the second such incident to have taken place this year. On January 22, a 14-year-old school girl, who was allegedly gang-raped by four security personnel at Kunduli on October 10 last year, committed suicide at her home.