NEW DELHI, July 13: In a shocking state of affairs, the members of a village Panchayat in Gumla district in Jharkhand, not only attempted to cover up the rape of a three-year-old girl from the police but also misused a part of the fine they imposed on the accused to protect him against any police action to organize a liquor party.

Some decent villager, however, secretly informed the police about the crime who stepped in and arrested the accused and also initiating action against the defaulting panchayat members.

According to police, the accused Sunil Lohara, went to the victim’s home on Saturday evening. Her mother was present at the time. Lohara asked the mother to let him hold the child while she went about her tasks, then took the girl to another room, where he raped her. When the child, injured and distressed, began crying, her mother rushed to her. The child was first taken to see a private doctor.

Rather than the case going straight to the police, the matter was taken up by the village Panchayat. Some members reportedly wanted to keep the case within the village rather than reporting it. A meeting was held on Sunday, where the accused was fined Rs 1 lakh, apparently as a way of settling the matter locally instead of involving the law.

The accused paid Rs 20,000 of that fine. The council then used this money to hold a celebration involving meat and alcohol. The accused was reportedly told to pay the remaining Rs 80,000 within a week. Ghaghra police station in-charge Mohan Kumar said officers received information that villagers were trying to suppress the case, and that pressure from within the village had kept it from reaching the police station.

Following this, Ghaghra police went to the village and registered a case based on a statement from the victim’s mother. The accused was arrested. Police said someone from the village had alerted them to what was happening. When officers arrived on Sunday, the celebration funded by the fine was under way. The accused was arrested during the gathering, and police also recorded a statement from the child’s mother.

Lodo Ekka, head of the Arangi Panchayat, said a meeting was held in Palma village following the assault, but that he had not been informed of it. He said he only learned about the meeting once police arrived and the matter came to light. Police say further legal proceedings are under way.

(Rohit Kumar)