Teenage gangrape victim hangs self as police team interrogates family members

A teenage girl, who was allegedly raped by two men, hanged herself in her house in northern India on Friday (18 August) while police was interrogating her family members in another room.

The officer in charge of the local police station was suspended on charges of negligence that led to the victim killing herself. A departmental inquiry has also reportedly been launched.

The alleged gangrape took place in July in Sonbhadra district in the state of Uttar Pradesh. According to local media, the two accused were arrested.

The police also added that three others – the victim's aunt and two minor girls – were charged with abetment to suicide and were on the run, the Indian Express newspaper reported.

"The station officer, along with his team, had gone to the victim's residence on Friday evening for questioning about the involvement of the victim's aunt," Additional Superintendent of Police, Saharanpur, Awdhesh Singh said, elaborating on the incident.

"While the officer was busy talking to the victim and her family, her father complained of uneasiness. She rushed inside the house to give him water.

"When the police team was about to leave the house, a family member rushed out and informed that the girl had hanged herself in a room.

"The team brought her down and rushed her to a hospital where doctors declared her brought dead," the officer added.

The victim had gone missing on 11 July and was later found on 27 July with one of the accused. Her family had filed a complaint of kidnapping. Based on the victim's complaint, the police made the two arrests.

"[The victim] also said that her aunt had provoked her to elope and also blamed two minor girls. Following the girl's statement, the charge of rape was included. The aunt and the two minor girls were also charged in the case," the officer said.