Probe ordered after rape accused kills self

Dinesh Lodh was booked on charges of rape and the SC/ST Atrocities Act and Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).

The police are yet to receive the medical examination of the victim.

The case was registered at Bahraich’s Kharghat police station on December 22 and Dinesh was arrested on December 24. He hanged himself in jail next day.

Dinesh’s father Dhillar Lodh,a daily wage labourer,who sought an inquiry,told The Indian Express that his son had an altercation with the girl’s mother on December 22 over a small issue. Dinesh then slapped the girl and her mother hit him with a blunt object,he claimed.

Dinesh belonged to Markhanda village while the girl belongs to a nearby village.

Dhillar Lodh alleged the girl and her mother later reached the police station and got a rape case lodged against his son.

Dhillar further said: “The police took my son from our house on December 22 and detained him for two days before producing him in court on December 24. After his arrest,I found out from the locals that the girl’s mother had an altercation with Dinesh and there was no incident of rape. The police tortured my son in custody for two days. Unable to bear the humiliation,he committed suicide in jail.”

Dinesh,who was also a daily wage labourer,is survived by his wife,Suman,whom he had married after a love affair of three years,and a one-year-old child.

Kharghat police station SHO R N Singh said the victim’s mother alleged in the complaint that her 11-year-old daughter was working in the field when Dinesh raped her.

The SHO denied charges of Dinesh’s illegal detention and his torture in police custody.

“The process of victim’s medical examination is going on,” he added.

Bahraich additional district magistrate (ADM) Prem Prakash Singh said an inquiry has been ordered on all the allegations made by family.

He added that city magistrate Hari Ram Singh,who is inquiring into the matter,has been asked to submit the report within 15-days.

Meanwhile,SHO Singh said Dinesh was jailed for about five months in a case of elopement of a girl who was recovered later. He was released from jail 15 days before he was arrested in the rape case.