Seven months after a Haryana rape survivor was forced to marry her rapist, on the intervention of a panchayat, unending torment at her in-laws' hands drove the 19-year-old girl to hang herself on Tuesday.

A case was registered at Jagadhri City police station. The rape took place at Jagadhri in Yamunanagar district in October 2015.

The rapist, identified as Anuj, was booked and arrested. However, he offered to marry the rape survivor, then a minor, as part of a deal brokered by a panchayat. The couple got married in March and the girl deposed in Anuj's favour in July, which led to his being cleared of the rape charges.
 

According to the complaint filed by the girl's mother, Anuj and his parents kept harassing the victim.

"She was subjected to physical and mental torture. They had an altercation on Monday as well," said Jagadhri City SHO Sunil Kumar. The victim's mother also alleged that she was hanged after being killed, and that Anuj and his parents had been harassing her (victim) to bring dowry and to pay their legal expenses in the rape case.

Originally published in Times of India | Images for representational use only

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