2 Dalit minor girls raped in separate incidents in Rajasthan's Jhalawar

Two Dalit minor girls were allegedly raped by youths in separate incidents in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district, police said on Thursday.

The two incidents took place within a span of 18 hours of each other on Tuesday night and Wednesday noon, respectively, at two separate places under Khanpur police station area of Jhalawar district, they said.

In the first case, a 16-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly raped by a neighbour in a village under Khanpur area on Wednesday noon when her parents had gone to work at an MGNREGA site in the village, SHO at Khanpur police station Kamal Chand Meena said.

The rape survivor reached the police station on Wednesday afternoon after her parents had returned from work and lodged a case of rape against the youth, he added.

In the complaint, the girl alleged that the accused youth entered her house on Wednesday noon while she was alone at home and he raped her there threatening not disclose of the act to anyone outside, the SHO said.

Police lodged a case of rape against the accused under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code, relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 3 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he added.

The accused had escaped from his house after the case was lodged against him and efforts are underway to arrest him, the policeman said.

The girl underwent a medical examination on Wednesday evening while the case has been handed over to Circle Officer DSP Bhanwar Singh Hada for further investigation, the SHO further said.

In the other incident, a 13-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly raped by a 19-year-old youth from her neighbourhood on Tuesday night in another place under Khanpur police station area, the SHO said.

Along with her parents, the victim reached the police station on Wednesday morning and lodged a case of rape against the youth, he added.

The girl alleged that the accused would often tease and trouble her with repeated mobile calls and kept nagging her to meet him in an isolated place, the SHO said.

On Tuesday night, the accused apparently called the girl and told her to come outside while the other members of her family were asleep and raped her there, according to the complaint.

A case of rape was lodged against the accused under Section 376 of the IPC, relevant sections of the POCSO Act and Section 3 of the SC/ST Act, the police official said, adding that the matter has been forwarded to DSP Bhanwar Singh Hada for further investigation.

A medical examination of the rape survivor was carried out on Wednesday and the accused was detained for interrogation on Thursday, the SHO said.