Rape victim hangs self out of 'shame'

A 22-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in her house in Maharashtra's Nagpur district, after she was raped by an accomplice of her friend last week, police said Monday.

The woman, in a suicide note purportedly written by her, stated that she was ending her life out of shame as the incident has become public.

Police arrested four persons, including the main accused Mayur Kularkar (21) and two others, on Saturday, a day after the alleged rape. A minor boy has been detained.

The woman, a resident of Marodi village in Mauda taluka, hanged herself Sunday evening, a police officer said.

Other accused are identified as Rahul Kambli (25), Shyam Katore (19) and the minor. They also are residents of Marodi village.

"Katore, who is a friend of the woman, had called her to meet him at Marodi bus stop at 8:30 PM on Friday (February 15). Katore arrived at the isolated spot with three of his friends. He then made the woman drink alcohol," Assistant Police Inspector (API) Chandrashekar Maske said while narrating the sequence of events.

He said Kularkar then took the woman, who was under influence of alcohol, to an empty pan kiosk near the bus stop and raped her.

"Kularkar and other accused then dumped the woman in their car and roamed till late night before dropping her near her house on the wee hours of Saturday," Maske said.

The woman lodged a complaint with Mauda police on the same day, following which the four accused were picked up from different locations, the officer said, adding that they were remanded in custody till February 18.

"The woman, however, hanged herself in her house on Sunday evening. In a suicide note (which is being verified), she wrote that she was taking the extreme step, as she is feeling distressed due to the incident which has become public," the police officer said.

The victim wrote that Kularkar be hanged till death, he said.

All the accused have been booked under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code IPC) for abetment of suicide. Kalurkar has been booked for rape as well.

Further investigation is underway, the officer added.