A 17-year-old girl died by suicide by consuming poison alleging harassment by four men in Uttar Pradesh’s Kundarki town of Moradabad district.
Police said she consumed an intoxicating substance following which she was rushed to a local private hospital when her condition deteriorated. She died on Monday.
According to The Quint, the teenager left a purported suicide note where she accused four men – Vikesh, Pramod, Babloo and Hargyan – of harassment and threats. They were her neighbours.
“I was constantly harassed by them on my way to school. They threatened to kill me and my family if I spoke about it. They made my videos and took advantage of our poverty, and I did everything they asked me to do out of fear. I even quit school,” the note read.
She writes that even after registering a police complaint, no action was taken because the men belonged to “affluent families.”
“These are rich people. I don’t have the audacity to fight against them anymore, but my family should not suffer. Sir, will you listen to me now? After my death, these people should be punished in such a way that girls from poor families can live and achieve their dreams,” the note ended.
The deceased’s family told the media that the first instance of harassment started on Holi, March 8. The men barged into their home and harassed the victim.
“We were not at home when this incident took place. On knowing what happened we questioned the four men. But they started threatening us. Later we approached the Kundarki police station and filed a complaint,” they said.
The family member alleged the police registered their complaint but did not take any action. “We want the official who didn’t take action based on our complaint and those who were named in her note to be arrested,” the family member added.
Meanwhile Moradabad’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hemraj Kumar Meena said the families of the four accused and the victim were involved in a long-standing land dispute.
Acknowledging that no action was taken against the complaint, the SSP said the sub-inspector in charge Sachin Malik is suspended over negligence of duty.
“Two among four people named in the note have now been taken into custody. A case under Sections 354 (outraging a woman’s modesty), 504 (intentional insult), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and relevant sections of the POCSO Act ( Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) have been registered,” the SSP said.
