A 15-year-old girl took her own life at her home in Telangana’s Warangal district, a day after she was allegedly gangraped by two of her friends. The girl, said to be a class 9 student in Hanamkonda town, was living with her grandparents as her parents had passed away.
On Saturday, the girl was picked up by one of the accused and taken to a secluded place. The police said that as the accused was her friend, she did not suspect anything. Another boy joined them there and both boys sexually assaulted the minor before dropping her back home in the evening. However, the girl’s family alleged that several boys were involved in the crime.
“She came back home around 4 pm and was looking very dull. When we questioned her, she told us that 4 to 5 boys drugged her and behaved inappropriately with her. She said that we should file a case on them whether she (the minor) was alive or dead,” the girl’s aunt told local reporters.
“Till 7 am on Sunday, she was talking to us just fine. But within a few hours, she took such an extreme step and killed herself at home,” the aunt added, demanding strict action against the accused.
The body of the girl was sent to the state-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Warangal for a post-mortem and later handed over to the family.
The Kakatiya University police have registered a case under Section 376 (Rape) and other sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
Speaking to TNM, Circle Inspector David Raju said, “There are only two accused in the crime and we have arrested both of them. One of the accused is a minor. Further investigation is ongoing.”
The incident comes just days after a Warangal court awarded the death penalty to an accused, after finding him guilty of raping a 9-month-old baby, which resulted in her death. On June 19, Praveen, a resident of Hanamkonda in Warangal, abducted the girl while she was sleeping with her parents on their terrace, before taking her to a secluded spot and raping her. The incident had triggered massive outrage with many people taking to the streets.
The police acted swiftly in filing a chargesheet as several witnesses came forward, and the trial was completed in less than two months.
Those in need of counselling can contact Roshni, a suicide helpline operational every day from 11 am to 9 pm. Roshni can be reached at 040 66202000/2001.