Madhya Pradesh Tribal Woman Raped, Dies After Consuming Poison

An 18-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide after being raped in Bothia village in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, police said today.

According to police, the tribal woman was kidnapped by two men and sexually assaulted by one of them outside her village on Tuesday night. She returned home next morning and consumed poison after narrating her ordeal to her mother. She died at a hospital last evening.

"Two men, residents of Jhallar town, kidnapped the woman while she was washing utensils in the backyard of her house in nearby Bothia village late Tuesday night. They took her to an isolated place outside the village," Jhallar police station in-charge Nepal Singh Thakur said.

"While one of the accused, identified as Pravin Rathore, raped her, his unidentified accomplice filmed the act on his mobile phone," he said.

After the crime, the accused threatened her that if she told about the incident to anyone, they would make the video public.

"The woman returned home around 5 am on Wednesday and narrated her ordeal to her mother. After some time, she consumed a poisonous substance," Mr Thakur said.

As she started vomiting, her family members rushed her to a nearby hospital. When her condition worsened, she was admitted to Betul district hospital in the afternoon. She died during treatment yesterday evening, the officer added.

According to Mr Thakur, police could not record her dying declaration.

A police team has been formed to nab the accused, who were booked under IPC sections 376 (rape), 366 (kidnapping), 306 (abetment of suicide) and relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The victim's mother told the police that Rathore also called the woman's fiance over the phone and informed him that he has raped her and filmed the act. They also allegedly threatened him to kill.

The victim's post-mortem report is awaited, the officer said.