Quarantined gang-rape accused dies by suicide in Jharkhand
RANCHI: A minor, accused in a case of gang rape of a 35-year-old woman, committed suicide at an observation home in Dumka.
The minor, after being arrested from Pakur along with 10 other accused persons in the case, was kept in isolation as a precautionary measure following eight of the accused persons and the victim, were tested positive for Covid-19.
According to FIR lodged at Muffassil Police Station in Pakur, all the 11 accused persons, who were drunk, intercepted and dragged the woman to a lonely place and raped her by taking turns. The incident took place at midnight of April 13-14 when the woman had gone out for defecation.
The police, however, said that the minor was not positive for Covid and was kept in isolation only as a precautionary measure.
“The gang-rape accused was taken to the observation home in Dumka on April 17 and was put into quarantine in a separate room, was found hanging from the ceiling of the observation home on Thursday,” said DSP (HQ) Vijay Kumar.
Prima facie, it appears to be a case of suicide, he added.
The DSP said the deceased was not coronavirus positive, but since the victim and eight other co-accused in the case were found to be infected with the virus, he was kept in isolation inside the premises of the observation home as a precautionary measure.
Notably, Police have already arrested all the 11 accused persons in the case, out of which, eight were tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted to Covid Health Care Centre at Pakur. FIR was lodged on April 15 by the victim herself and the accused persons were arrested on April 16.