Village 'elders' let go man who raped minor with Rs 2.5lk fine

A man who allegedly impregnated a minor girl, a farm worker, after a false promise of marrying her was let off with a Rs 2.5 lakh 'compensation' and externed by a group of elders in a village in Telangana, police said today.

After the shocking incident that took place on August 1 came to light, the man and four of the six 'elders' who held the 'mediation meet' at Narayanpet in Mahbubnagar district were arrested yesterday, police said.

All the five were produced before a local court which remanded them to judicial custody, local Sub-Inspector of Police M Krishnaiah said.

Cases under various sections of the IPC, including 376 (rape) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, had been registered, he said.

According to police, the 17-year-old girl was working in the cotton fields to assist her parents.

Accused Venkataiah, owner of the fields, had physical relationship with the girl after making false promise that he would marry her. She later became pregnant.

The girl's family came to know about it when her mother observed changes in her daughter's body and took her for a medical examination recently.

Some of the villagers offered to mediate between the victim and the accused. They offered Rs 2.50 lakh as compensation to the parents to remain silent.

However, police came to know about the incident and registered a case and arrested five people, the SI told PTI.

Another police official said a written consent was also obtained from the girls family on the 'settlement'. After this, Venkataiah was externed from Narayanpet.