16-Yr-Old Jharkhand Girl Burnt Alive By Rapist Who Was Angry Over Fine Imposed By Panchayat

The day changes yet the story remains the same. Once again, a minor girl was raped and burned in Jharkhand’s Chatra district. 14 people have been arrested in connection with the crime. The main accused was arrested on May 5.

The incident took place in naxal affected area of Chatra. The 16-year-old victim was abducted by four youth and later, raped. Her family members had gone out to attend a wedding on that night. On the morning of May 4, the family members took up the matter with the Panchayat, as reported by Financial Express.

The panchayat asked the accused to do 100 sit-ups and pay Rs 50,000 to the victim to settle the matter. This was the price they set on raping a minor girl in the village. Enraged that the issue was taken up by the panchayat, the youth along with his friends rushed to her house, beat up her parents and set the victim on fire.

Financial Express reports that in another incident, in Palamau district, the village Panchayat asked the rape accused to pay Rs 15,000 to settle the issue after a minor girl was allegedly raped by her maternal uncle.

Police’s account

The police filed a case at Ikhtori police station. A case was filed against 20 accused. A senior police officer said, “A special investigation team has been set up which is looking into the case.”

Action will also be taken against village council leaders for trivialising the matter, police said. District administration announced a financial support of Rs 2.5 lakh to the victim’s family.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das condemned the incident. Calling it “barbaric”, Das directed the district police to arrest the culprits and take the strongest possible action. Congress president Rahul Gandhi also condemned the rape and murder.

In Jharkhand, the rape and brutal murder of a young girl who was set afire by her rapist, has left me stunned and angry.

Her death is a tragedy. The police were informed of the rape but didn’t act quickly enough.

As a nation, this is yet another girl we have failed. https://t.co/wkTedrOwz0

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 7, 2018

The Logical Indian sympathises with the victim, more so because the panchayat set a price on the crime. The Mukhiya who is a woman was also arrested. Instead of asking the accused to pay a fine, she could have handed him over to the police. It is demeaning and insensitive to even think that a mere Rs 50,000 can compensate the trauma and horror she went through.