The Thane district rural police launched a manhunt for a farmhouse owner who allegedly raped a tribal woman and drove her husband to commit sucide, the police said here today.
Assistant police inspector M G Sawant of the Vangaon police station told PTI that a tribal Mahesh Dapshi (30) worked in the farm of one Ravindra Raut since 2011 and lived with his wife in the quarters near the farm.
Allegedly, Raut gatecrashed Dapshi's quarters on Sunday night and dragged his wife away to his farm house.
When Mahesh attempted to intervene and rescue his wife, Raut allegedly threatened him that he would kill both of them, after which he allegedly raped Dapshi's wife in front of him, the police said.
A depressed Dapshi consumed pesticide the very next day and committed suicide, the police said.
He died while being taken to the hospital after he began vomitting, the police said.
The police has registered offences under Section 306 Section 376, Section 504 and Section 506 of the Indian Penal Code and also provisions of the The Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
