Earlier, the girl had attempted suicide Nov 18 by consuming an overdose of iron tablets
Bhubaneswar: In a sensational turn of events in the alleged Kunduli gang-rape case, the victim, a 14-year old Dalit girl, hanged herself with a scarf when no one was at her home in Musaguda village of Koraput district Monday.
Local reports suggest that the victim was rescued in critical condition from her house and taken to Kunduli Community Health Centre where the doctors declared her brought dead. Sunabeda SDPO Narahari Nayak confirmed the suicide of the victim.
The Dalit girl had alleged that she was gang-raped by four security personnel at nearby Sorispadar forest close to Kunduli when she was returning home from a market near the village. She had even told newsmen in December last year that she was under pressure from the police to withdraw the case and claimed she was offered money by senior police officers including the DGP to sign a blank paper and change her statement.
Her family members said she took the extreme step as the officials were in denial mode that she was raped at all. The incident had triggered a massive public outrage across the state and the opposition parties had raised it in the State Assembly last year.
As the incident snowballed into a major political issue for the state government, the latter declared it as a Red Flag case and ordered a Crime Branch inquiry. This was followed by the declaration of a judicial probe by a sitting District Judge. 
However, the Human Rights Protection Cell of the State Police said there was no truth in the allegations made by the victim that she had been gangraped. Quoting a medical report, the cell had claimed that there was no evidence of gang rape. The police had made four arrests in this regard. The victim had, however, alleged that her relatives had been picked up for interrogations.
Earlier, the girl had attempted suicide (November 18) by consuming an overdose of iron tablets and was admitted to SCB in critical condition November 19. She was discharged from SCB November 27 only after her mother alleged that her daughter had been forcefully detained.
Eventually, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ordered a judicial probe into the incident. An inquiry commission headed by Koraput district judge was set up January 6 to probe the gang-rape allegations.
The Chief Minister Monday expressed grief and conveyed his sympathy to the family members of the victim. Meanwhile, the Opposition demanded a CBI probe into the entire episode alleging failure of the state government in giving justice to the victim.
Congress chief whip in the Assembly Taraprasad Bahinipati demanded a CBI probe into the case. “The state government and the Crime Branch are responsible for the death of the Kunduli gang rape victim. She committed suicide as the Crime Branch could not investigate the matter properly. A CBI probe should be instituted to ascertain the truth,” said Bahinipati. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jayram Pangi also demanded a CBI probe into the incident.
BJD leader Subas Singh said the matter is already being probed by a judicial commission. “Opposition parties should refrain from politicising the sensitive case,” he said.
Suicide note mystery
The victim reportedly had prepared a suicide note before taking the extreme step. She is believed to have blamed the police in her letter. It was alleged that the police seized the suicide note hurriedly from her house and refused to share its contents with media fearing a backlash, as in the past also the victim had leveled similar allegations against police. She alleged she was offered money to change her statement.
PNN
