Patna, April 10 – In a tragic incident, a young girl committed suicide by hanging herself inside her home after allegedly being sexually assaulted at gunpoint in Nalanda district, Bihar.
The Class XII student took this extreme step almost twelve hours after the incident, as she reportedly could not cope with the distress and trauma of the assault.
The victim, one of five sisters, recently passed her Intermediate Examinations, while her attacker is said to be a person from a prominent family in the same neighbourhood.
After sexually assaulting her at gunpoint, the perpetrator threatened the family not to approach the police.
Preliminary reports suggest that "electoral rivalry" may be one of the reasons behind the incident. The accused is said to be the son of a former ward councillor, who was angry with the family because they had broken a promise and did not vote for them.
The police have sent the body for post-mortem to a local hospital in Bihar Sharif and launched a thorough investigation into the incident that led to the girl's death.
According to the victim's father, the incident occurred while they were harvesting wheat in the fields. Upon returning home around 9 PM, they heard their daughter's screams.
Upon entering the house, they found a boy from the neighbouring house inside, holding a pistol.
The accused, after committing this grave act, brandished a pistol and threatened the family not to disclose any details to anyone.
The family alleges that the accused's father, a former Ward Commissioner, also arrived at the scene and pressured them to remain silent about the matter.
According to the family, the accused's side harboured a grudge against them due to previous electoral rivalry – specifically, their refusal to vote for them.
The family, shaken by the incident, consoled their daughter and assured her of justice. The next morning, they went back to the fields to harvest crops, and when they returned home around 9 AM, they found the door locked from the inside.
The girl, terrified by the threats and trauma, took her life by hanging herself from the ceiling fan.
Her mother discovered her body hanging from the ceiling fan, using a dupatta.
The grieving family is demanding stringent punishment for the accused and his family. They claim that the accused is roaming freely within the village, defying the police.
Meanwhile, Rajgir DSP, Sunil Kumar Singh, stated that all angles are being investigated, and a thorough investigation is underway.
The DSP noted that, during the initial stages of the investigation, family members had alluded to a possible romantic relationship; however, in light of serious allegations of sexual assault and rape, a thorough investigation is underway.
"An FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) team visited the crime scene and seized the deceased's clothing along with other crucial evidence. The full truth regarding the case will only emerge once the post-mortem and FSL reports are received. The police are meticulously examining every aspect of the incident," he told newsmen.