Shivpuri (Madhya Pradesh), February 25 The bodies of a man accused in a rape case, who had been released on bail, and a 17-year-old girl with a mangalsutra around her neck were found hanging from a tree in a field in the Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, police said.
The deceased man, identified as Jitendra Dhakad, 19, was recently released on bail in the rape case registered against him under the POCSO Act, with police suspecting a love affair between the two.
Dhakad and the girl went missing from their homes on February 24, days after he was released on bail, according to police.
Gabbar Singh Gurjar, in-charge of the Kolaras police station, said that passersby spotted the bodies hanging from a neem tree in a field on Guda Road and informed the police.
A mangalsutra was found around the girl's neck, he said.
"No suicide note was recovered from the scene. It cannot be conclusively said whether the cause of death was suicide or something else. A case has been registered. Further legal action will be taken based on the postmortem report and statements from the family members," Gurjar added.
A case was registered against Dhakad at the Badarwas police station in October 2025 for allegedly abducting the girl, leading to his arrest on November 8 and the girl was rescued.
He was arrested on charges of rape under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and sent to jail, Gurjar said, adding that Dhakad was released on bail on February 11.