TIRUCHY: A 17-year-old girl near Manapparai allegedly ended her life on Wednesday after police were unable to arrest a relative who allegedly sexually assaulted and impregnated her.
The man, against whom the girl had filed a complaint in May, has been absconding. On Tuesday, Manapparai police traced him but he had obtained an anticipatory bail. While her relatives continued to agitate for his arrest, the girl, reportedly six-months pregnant, attempted to end her life. Police said that her parents rushed her to Manapparai Government Hospital but she died on Wednesday evening without responding to treatment.
According to the police, the girl lived with her parents in Kavarapatti village near Manapparai. The accused R Ramki (22) of Baharanpatti village in Pudukkottai district is her relative. Police said the girl and the accused had been in a relationship for over a year.
Ramki is alleged to have promised to marry her and sexually assaulted her multiple times when she was alone at home. After she got pregnant, Ramki reportedly refused to marry her and cut contact. Unable to contact him, the girl told her parents about what had happened. On May 25, the girl, along with her parents, filed a complaint against Ramki at the Manapparai All Women Police Station.
Police claimed they were unable to find Ramki who was on the run. The girl again filed a petition at the police station seeking his arrest.
On Tuesday, police found Ramki but said they were unable to arrest him as he had already obtained an anticipatory bail. While the girl’s relatives staged an agitation demanding that the police arrest him, the girl is believed to have fallen into despair and attempted to end her life. Her parents rushed her to the Manapparai Government Hospital, but she died on Wednesday evening.
DIG (Tiruchy range) Z Annie Vijaya, along with Tiruchy SP Ziaul Haque, rushed to Manapparai to investigate the incident. Police have assured the family that the accused, who has been booked under Sections of the POCSO act, will be brought to justice.
(If in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call 104 for Tamil Nadu health department’s helpline that offers counselling or 044- 24640050 for the 24/7 Sneha suicide helpline)