Karnataka: Man held after tribal girl he raped dies by suicide, say cops

A 33-year-old man was arrested on Saturday for raping a 17-year-old tribal girl on February 2 who later died by suicide, said police. Police have identified the man as Srikanth, a forest watcher and driver at Nagarahole Tiger Reserve.
Police said, the man raped the minor when she returned to her village based in Nellore. She worked as a private nurse in Bengaluru. The man, who had known her for years, lured her into accompanying him to his friend’s house. He promised her a new job with a higher salary. He took the girl in an autorickshaw to his friend’s house where he allegedly raped her.
A few workers nearby noticed the two in the house and took pictures and videos of them, said police. After a few days, when the girl’s father learned about the incident, he threatened the accused to file a rape case against him and demanded ₹8 lakh to keep quiet. According to the police, they reached an agreement to settle the matter for ₹4 lakh. The accused paid ₹3.5 lakh in cash to the girl’s father, saying he would pay the remaining ₹50,000 the next day. However, the next day when the father asked for the remaining money, the accused refused.
Following the non-payment of the remaining money, the father filed a complaint. However, the police did not immediately register the case against Srikanth.
Meanwhile, when the girl learned that her father had taken money from the accused to settle the matter, she died by suicide on February 13, said police.
Subsequently, a team consisting of Women and Child Protection officer Sachin Suvarna, district child protection worker IS Kiran, District Women and Child Protection Unit social worker Poreyanda Swathi, Social Welfare Department assistant director Preeti Chikkamadiah, and Jamma Pale Committee president JK Thimma visited the spot to gather details about the incident from the girl’s parents. They then pressurised the police for action.
“Following the complaint of the girl’s father, we immediately registered an FIR against the accused driver and arrested him,” said police inspector Ishran . “We have booked him under sections 376 (rape) and 306 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code, sections of the Prevention of SC/ST Act, and Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocos) Act. We produced him before a magistrate on Sunday that sent him to 14-day judicial custody,” added the inspector.