The body of a teenage rape victim, who had gone missing on August 18, was recovered from a canal in Barabanki district on Saturday.
The 17-year-old, who lives in neighbouring Sitapur district, reportedly left home on August 18 telling her parents that she was going to court to meet her lawyer to discuss the rape case, which she had filed against a local youth in January this year.
Sitapur police said they suspect the girl died by suicide after jumping into the canal that passes through neighbouring Barabanki district. The highly discomposed body has been sent for an autopsy.
“Things will get clear after obtaining the postmortem report. We have come to know that the girl was scolded by her parents, a day before she went missing,” said an officer of Sitapur police.
On the basis of a complaint lodged by the girl’s father, an FIR has been registered in Sitapur against the youth booked in the rape case. He has been booked for kidnapping and criminal intimidation.
In January, the girl had got an FIR registered in Sitapur against a youth of a neighbouring village for allegedly raping her on the pretext of getting married. The youth was arrested and sent to jail. In June this year, the accused was released on bail, said a local police officer.
“We are verifying the information collected so far. The statements of the girl’s neighbours are also being recorded,” said the police officer, adding that they were coordinating with their Barabanki counterparts.
According to Barabanki police, a group of people visited a local police station and informed them about a body lying on a canal bank. The group of people identified themselves to be residents of neighbouring Sitapur district. A police team reached the canal and took hold of the body.
“One of them identified the body as of his daughter through clothes. I contacted the Sitapur police and they informed me that a man had filed a case about the kidnapping of his daughter,” said the in-charge of the local police station in Barabanki.
The officer added that during questioning the man told us that while searching for the girl, they reached Barabanki and spotted the body. Police suspect that body floated to Barabanki from Sitapur.
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“The girl’s father told us that his daughter left home on August 18 to go to court. She told her family that she was going to meet her lawyer to discuss the case. The trial of the case is yet to begin,” said in-charge of a police station in Sitapur.
When the girl did not return home, her family began to search for her. The girl’s father then lodged a case against the youth, who was booked in the rape case.
“We were searching for the girl when we got information about the recovery of her body,” added the police officer.
No one has been arrested so far in connection with girl’s death.