KENDRAPARA: A 16-year-old rape survivor attempted to end her life by consuming poison on the premises of a court in Kendrapara on Friday.
The minor reportedly tried to take the extreme step in the court of Additional district Judge-cum-Special Judge (POCSO) here where she was supposed to provide evidence in connection with the case.
The girl was allegedly raped in June last year. Acting on her mother’s complaint, police later arrested the accused Keshab Das (21).
The accused’s lawyer Itihas Lenka said the girl’s mother first deposed in the court and was cross-examined by him. When her father was being cross-examined, she gulped the poison in the washroom of the court and started vomiting. The incident caused a commotion in the court.
The minor was rushed to the district headquarters hospital at Kendrapara. She was later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack as her condition worsened. Police are investigating the case, said IIC of Kendrapara Town police station Dilip Sahoo.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)