A 14-year-old tribal girl, who had charged "four men in uniform" with rape three months ago in Odisha's Koraput district, allegedly committed suicide today, the police said.
The class 11 student allegedly hanged herself this afternoon when her family members were not at home. She was later rushed to a local community health centre in an unconscious state, they said.
"She was declared 'received dead' at the health centre by the doctors," Sunabeda sub-divisional police officer Narahari Nayak said.
"She took the extreme step out of frustration at not getting justice," a relative of the girl told a local TV news channel.
The girl earlier too attempted suicide by consuming excess of iron pills and had to be hospitalised in Cuttack, the relative said.
The girl had on October 10 last year alleged that she was raped by "four men in uniform" at Kunduli while she was returning to her home at Musaguda village in the Naxal-hit Koraput district.
However, the state police had later claimed in a report that the girl was not raped at all.
The Human Rights Protection Cell of Odisha police had in its report to the Odisha Human Rights Commission claimed that the girl was not raped. But she had stuck to her claim that she was raped by four men in uniform.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed grief over the girl's death.
"On hearing the tragic incidence of the suicide of the alleged Kunduli rape victim, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expresses deep grief and conveys his deep sympathy to the bereaved family," a communication from the chief minister's office said.
Opposition Congress party has demanded a CBI probe into the alleged suicide.
"The minor girl was under tremendous pressure and was doubtful about getting justice. It is unfortunate that a young girl had to end her life after being denied justice," Congress leader Pradeep Majhi said.
The matter had taken a dramatic turn with the girl alleging after about a fortnight of her rape complaint that senior police officers, including Odisha Director General of Police R P Sharma, tried to "influence" her to withdraw the case, a charge which was denied by the top officer.
Chief Minister Patnaik had ordered a judicial probe into the incident which is still on.
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