Accused in rape and murder of six-year-old attempts suicide in

The accused in the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in Odisha's Cuttack district allegedly attempted suicide inside the jail toilet by trying to hang himself with his towel, police said today.

Twentyfive-year-old Mohamed Mustaq attempted to end his life yesterday and was rescued by an alert warder of the Salipur sub-jail, the police said.

"Based on the report of the sub-jail superintendent we have registered another case under section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) of IPC against the accused, who has already been booked under Section 376(2)(i)(m) (rape of minor) and the POCSO Act for raping a six-year-old on April 21," said Salipur police inspector D K Mallick.

Jail superintendent Runibala Dei said the man failed to take the extreme step as he could not find a suitable point to tie the end of his gamuchha (towel) after putting the noose around his neck. He is now being counseled and is under strict vigil.

Police have stepped up investigation into the case and Cuttack (rural) police district sources said the chargesheet is likely to be filed within a week. The state government today appointed a special public prosecutor to conduct this case on a priority basis.

The trial in the case will be the first in the state after the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance got the Presidential assent on April 22, the day after the girl was raped.

The girl suffered multiple injuries and was rescued in a critical and unconscious state. She soon slipped into a vegetative state and died on April 29.

The criminal law on rape had been comprehensively amended since the 2012 Nirbhaya rape case and provision of death penalty was introduced in cases where the victim either died or was left in a vegetative state after being raped.