Dalit girl’s rape: Letter from school principal’s confirms she is minor

This development took place after the state education department held an inquiry at the local village school and submitted the report with the SC/ST commission,which is conducting an inquiry into this matter.

Dalip Singh Pandhi,member Punjab State SC/ST commission confirmed the development and said,“This letter has made it clear that the police had built up a false case to try and save the culprits.”

The civil and police authorities had been claiming that the girl was a major and did not wish legal action against the alleged accused persons.

The police then stopped the investigation process and filed an application before the district and sessions’ court requesting it to close the case.

The case of rape had come to light when the girl gave birth to a baby in April last year.

An FIR was lodged against six persons under Sections 376 and 506 of the IPC. SP (D) Gurmeet Singh who was investigating the case claimed that father of the girl had filed an affidavit that his daughter was above the age of 18 and she willingly developed relations with the ‘accused’.

He demanded cancellation of the case stating that nobody was at fault.

In order to hush up the case,the girl was married-off to a man in Jalandhar district in February this year,violating the provisions of the Prohibition of Child Marriages Act,2006. The SC/ST commission will now carry on further investigations into the case.