Jharkhand: In Palama village of Gumla district, the village panchayat settled a case of r*pe of a three-year-old girl by imposing a fine of ₹1 lakh on the accused. The panchayat then used the fine money to organize a liquor party. Police made arrests mid feast.
The accused, Sunil Lohra, went to the three-year-old girl’s house where her mother was present. He asked the mother to let him hold the child in his arms. While the mother was busy with her work, the accused took the girl to another room and r*ped her. The child started crying in an injured state. Hearing her cries, the mother rushed to her, and first took the girl to a private doctor.
Some villagers then took the matter to the panchayat. The panchayat tried to settle the case so that it would not reach the police. They imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on the accused. The accused immediately paid ₹20,000, and was asked to pay the remaining ₹80,000 within a week. With this money, the panchayat organized a liquor party.
After receiving information from a villager, the police reached the spot on Sunday. An FIR was registered based on the statement of the child’s mother, and the accused was arrested during the feast itself. Further legal action is underway, and the case has been registered under the POCSO Act and other relevant sections.
