Kunduli gangrape victim commits suicide in Odisha

Koraput: The Kunduli gang rape survivor, who was allegedly gang raped by a group of security personnel last year, committed suicide on Monday. She took the extreme step by hanging herself at her house.

The minor tribal girl was rushed to the Kunduli hospital in an unconscious state where doctors declared her received dead.

Sources said that the girl committed suicide in the absence of her family member.

Sunabeda SDPO Narahari Nayak said she was declared ‘received dead’ at Kunduli primary health centre.

The class IX class student of Sorisapadar village under Potangi police limits in Koraput district was allegedly gang raped by a group of security personnel on October 10 last year while she was returning from school.

A case under Sections 376 (D) and 377 of IPC and Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had ordered for a judicial probe into the incident.

The incident had triggered massive public outrage across the state. Opposition members had also raised the Kunduli gangrape issue in the state Assembly last year.

Meanwhile, Congress chief whip in Assembly Taraprasad Bahinipati demanded a CBI probe into the Kunduli gangrape case.

“The state government and the Crime Branch are responsible for the death of the Kunduli gangrape victim. She committed suicide as the Crime Branch could not investigate the matter properly. A CBI probe should be instituted to ascertain the actual truth,” said Bahinipati.

Notably, HRPC ADG had submitted a report stating that Kunduli gangrape victim was not raped. Later, the state government had handed over the case for a judial probe.